


My Girl Lola

by Phsbarbie



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, My Girl Lola
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-01-07 00:08:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1113148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phsbarbie/pseuds/Phsbarbie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Vega is finally ready to make his move on Shepard, but is Shepard ready for him?</p><p>Chapter 7 is rated E!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

    I pause outside the door to her cabin, trying to psych myself up. Come on Vega, you can do this! I tilt my head side to side and roll my shoulders, stretching as if I'm headed for the boxing ring. Of course, after talking to Shepard I usually feel like I've been sparring. 

    I have a crush on Lola. There, I admit it. Those flashing eyes, easy smile, and wicked tongue have me hooked. The way she moves, the way she fights, the way those tendrils of hair escape her ponytail and curl beside her face... okay, it might be a bit more than a crush. But am I anything more than a buddy to her? I think I might have been until today. I bite back a groan and let my head drop back, staring at the ceiling. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

    I was down in the refugees' docking bay, getting inked. I'd finally decided to accept the invitation to the N7 program and thought that deserved some fanfare. It looks great by the way, a giant "N7" across my back. Anyway, I was sitting there with a batarian working on my back when my thoughts strayed, as they often do, to Lola. Does she have any ink? Maybe hidden somewhere her uniforms cover? I bet she'd look fantastic with a tattoo, something dark and bold against that creamy tan skin. Maybe  _James_  on her hip... The thought of it made my heart race and my breathing turn shallow. Stop it, I admonished myself. She's your commander for God's sake. And then, as if my thoughts had summoned her, she was standing in front of me with a smile playing at the edges of her lips.

    "James," she said in greeting.

    "Commander," I replied, trying not to stumble over my words. "What brings you down here?" I was momentarily grateful for the pain caused by the batarian's needles, it gave me something to focus on besides Shepard. 

    "I was about to ask you that," she said, gesturing to my back.

    "Right, well, after our talk I decided to, ow, to join the N7 program." She looked confused.

    "And you're celebrating by getting a tattoo?" she asked. I chuckled. 

    "Sort of. There are no official channels to go through right now, so this is my way of making it official."

    "You do realize you're just a recruit, right?" she said, trying to trace the lines of my biceps with her eyes without me noticing. I bit back a grin. Fair is fair, since I've lost track of how many times I've meticulously studied her curves in the last ten months.

    "Yeah, well, with the great Commander Shepard as my training officer, how could I go wrong?" I asked with a cocky grin. She rolled her eyes. "Look, I know it seems like I don't take things seriously, but when I commit to something, I fully commit," I continued earnestly.

    "Clearly," she said, flicking those big blue eyes towards the batarian and back. "You know, that's going to sting for a few days, you going to be ready for duty?"

    "Always," I told her. I paused a moment before adding, "Hey, maybe we should get matching." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave me an amused look.

    "You want  _me_  to get an N7 tattoo?" A wicked idea entered my head, a chance to tell her my fantasy without actually revealing anything.

    "N7, sure. Or, you could get  _my_  name done, somewhere special." Like your hip. She laughed.

    "You're such a tease, Vega. Are you ever going to make good on all this flirting?" I have been flirting with Shepard since the moment I was assigned to her security ten months ago, I'm fairly certain I'm at least halfway in love with her at this point, but when my chance finally came I panicked. Badly.

    "Uh... I was just... I didn't mean to... You're my commander and..." She gave a light chuckle. 

    "That's what I thought. Later Lieutenant," she said, turning away quickly. But not so quickly that I didn't see her face fall for a split second.

    "Later," I managed to get out before she was out of earshot. Was it possible that she felt the same way about me? That I was more than a buddy, more than just part of the crew? 

    "Ow!" I said as the needles dug deeper.

    "Suck it up, soldier," replied the batarian.

    So here I am, pacing outside of Lola's cabin and hoping I can fix this. Before I lose all my nerve I press the buzzer next to her door.

    "Come in!" comes her voice almost instantly. I take a deep breath and open the door. 

    "James," she says, seeming surprised. She puts down the datapad she was studying and turns her full attention to me. "What can I do for you?" She's so matter of fact, so right down to business that it throws me for a moment.

    "I, uh, I just came by the show you the new ink," I say, pulling my shirt up over my head. Her eyes trail over my pecs, down to my abs, then back up again and I've never been happier that I spend so much time on my workouts. She reaches my face and raises her eyebrows.

    "Isn't it on your back?"

    "Oh, shit, right," I say, quickly turning around so she won't catch my blush. "What do you think?" I hear her walking towards me to take a closer look and freeze when I feel her soft hand tracing the outline.

    "It looks great. How did you get it to heal up so fast?" she asks, leaning in to examine it. I feel her warm breath on my back and can't contain a shiver.

    "I, uh, I went by the medbay earlier. Chakwas has a great gel for it." I feel her take a step back and turn to face her.

    "Well, it looks amazing," says Lola, the smile on her face just a touch too wide. There's an awkward pause that I don't try to fill. "Is there anything else?" she asks.

    "Yes, there is," I say. I pull her to me and kiss her soundly. She makes a surprised sound in the back of her throat and puts her hands on my shoulders, though whether to pull me closer or push me away I'm not sure. I pull back and place my forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

    "I've been wanting to do that for the last ten months," I say. For a moment I think Lola is going to return my embrace, but then she pushes against my shoulders and takes a step back. I let her go, albeit begrudgingly. 

    "This isn't going to work, James," she says with a shake of her head. My heart falls to my stomach. Surely I couldn't have messed up that badly, could I?

    "Why not?" I demand.

    "I'm not a one night stand kind of girl, Vega." I take a step towards her and wrap an arm around her waist.

    "Lola, I told you, when I commit to something, I fully commit." She gives a bitter laugh.

    "Where have I head that line before?" By the brief flash of pain in her eyes I can tell she's thinking about Jacob. Damn him. Jacob Taylor was a Cerberus operative that helped Shepard defeat the collectors. He told her he loved her, then promptly knocked up some other woman while Lola was on house arrest for six months. The bastard.

    "Lola," I say, raising her chin so I can meet her eyes, "I'm nothing like him." The look she gives me says she doesn't believe me. "What can I do to prove myself to you?" She studies me intently for a moment.

    "For starters, you can stop hitting on anything female that moves, especially Ashley." I nod my head slowly.

    "I can do that." She eyes me suspiciously.

    "You should also know you won't be spending the night in my cabin anytime soon." I chuckle. 

    "Lola I've been waiting for you for ten months. I think I can wait a bit longer. Anything else?" She sighs. 

    "I don't know, James. I just don't know." I press my lips softly, sweetly against hers.

    "Well I do. Trust me Lola, we're going to be great together." This time her soft laugh holds no trace of bitterness.

    "Has anyone ever told you you're cocky, Vega?"

    "I prefer confident," I tell her with a smile. "You should get some sleep, Lola. I'll talk to you tomorrow." I kiss her forehead and take a step back, pulling on my shirt and heading for the door.

    "Goodnight, James," she calls after me. I smile at her over my shoulder.

    "Night, Lola." I let myself out of her cabin and whistle while I wait for the elevator. See Vega? I told you you could do it. 


	2. Chapter 2

    I take a deep breath and square my shoulders before using the passcode Garrus gave me to override the lock on Shepard's door. Scars and I had a long talk that lasted way past lights out last night. I was headed back down to the cargo bay after showing Lola my tattoo, feeling pretty pleased with myself, when the elevator stopped on the crew deck. The doors slid open to reveal Garrus standing there, mandibles twitching and eyes narrowed at me.

 

     "You. Lounge. Now," he said, putting a hand against the elevator door to keep it open. I raised my eyebrows in surprise, but headed for the lounge. I have no idea where the turian falls in the Normandy's chain of command, but I'm fairly certain it's above me. Scars was close behind me, setting the lock on the lounge door as I sat down on one the couches. He turned to me, eyes still narrowed, mandibles still twitching.

 

    "I'm only going to ask you this once, Vega; what are your intentions with Shepard?" he asked. I guess I should've seen that one coming, he is her best friend after all. I leaned towards him, elbows on my knees.

 

    "I like her, Scars. I like her a lot," I told him, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. For the first time since the elevator doors opened, he blinked.

 

    "So you're not just jerking her around? Looking for a good time? Bored on the ship with nothing to do?" he asked, stepping towards me. 

 

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down man," I said, laughing to try and ease some of the tension. "Where's this coming from?" Garrus gave an exhausted sigh and sank down on the couch across from me.

 

    "Those are all the questions I should have asked Jacob before he screwed with the Commander's heart. And, well, like it or not, the two of you share some... similarities." I felt my body stiffen and anger overtake my thoughts.

 

    "That's bullshit!" I exploded, jumping to my feet. "I am nothing like that asshole."

 

    "Relax, Vega," he said with a wave of his taloned hand. "You're not like him where it counts. You've got a good heart, you're loyal, and when you commit to something, you fully commit."

 

    "That's exactly what I told Lola!" I said, sitting back down on the couch.

 

    "Yeah, but look at the similarities: Alliance soldier that loves drinking, dancing, fighting, and obsessing about his workout routine."

 

    "What's wrong with those things?" I asked, mildly offended.

 

    "Nothing, in fact it was those qualities that drew Shepard to Jacob in the first place. Now, however, they're a screaming reminder of the bastard's betrayal." 

 

    "Why are you telling me this, Scars?" I asked tiredly, any excitation I felt on leaving Lola's cabin long gone.

 

    "Because, despite you being a cocky ass marine with a big mouth, I think you'd be good for her," he said. 

 

    "I can't change those similarities, Garrus. They're part of who I am," I told him a bit sadly.

 

    "You don't have to change yourself, James. You just have to get her to stop seeing those things as warning signs." I considered this for a moment.

 

    "All right," I said, nodding my head, "what do I do?"

 

    So here I am, taking a step into Shepard's cabin and starting phase one of the plan. "Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!" I say, walking over to her couches and setting the tray of eggs down on her coffee table. Shepard's instantly sitting up in bed and scanning the room. I try not to laugh. Always ready, even with bed head.

 

    "Vega?" she asks in confusion. "What time is it?"

 

    "0630." Her alert eyes narrow into a scowl she shoots my way before burying herself under the covers again.

 

    "It's a shore leave day, James," comes her muffled complaint. "You know I sleep til eight on shore leave."

 

    "Yeah," I say, coming to stand next to the bed with my arms crossed, "but I also know you'd be off the ship a heartbeat later, spending the day avoiding me." She moves the blanket so that one bright blue eye is staring out at me.

 

    "Would not," she says, though her tone belies the lie. I chuckle.

 

    "Sure you wouldn't. Come on, we got big plans for the day," I tell her, stripping back the blanket to find her dressed in only a bra and boy shorts.

 

    "I'm up here, Lieutenant," she says in an amused voice. My eyes snap to her face and I smile at her sheepishly. "Look, James, I appreciate the thought, but I'm booked today."

 

    "No, you're not."

 

    Her brows crease. "Come again?"

 

    "I said, no you're not. I had Traynor clear your schedule. You have an actual, full day of shore leave, which you'll be spending with me." Her eyes flash panic.

 

    "Vega-"

 

    "Please, Shepard," I interrupt. "You have to at least give me a chance." She hesitates a moment before letting out a sigh and I release the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

 

    "All right, Vega, you've got me for the day. What's up first?" I grin.

 

    "First you get that sweet ass out of bed and come eat these eggs. I made 'em for you myself," I say, walking over to her couches and taking a seat. One side of her mouth turns up in a half smile.

 

    "Fine, but first this 'sweet ass' has to get some clothes on."

 

    "No one's stopping you," I say, putting my feet up on the coffee table and my hands behind my head, settling in for the show.

 

    "What a charmer you are, Vega," she says with a shake of her head.

 

    "Hey, I can only be who I am, Lola," I say earnestly, dropping my feet to the ground and my arms to my knees. "No more, no less." She scoffs.

 

    "And somehow, being you means you have to watch your commanding officer get dressed?" I shoot her a cocky grin.

 

    "Yeah, well, sometimes it's good to be me." She throws a pillow at my head. When I bring my arms down from catching it she's already got her pants on and is slipping her tank on over her head. Damn. She sports a self satisfied smile as she plops down next to me and digs in.

 

    "Okay," she says around a mouthful of scrambled eggs, "what are the plans?"

 

    "The plans are for you to sit back and let someone else drive for once. One step at a time, Lola." She glares at me and I chuckle. "Just finish your eggs. We'll head out when you're done."

 

    "The presidium?" she asks me a half hour later as we stroll through the shops. "I thought you hated the presidium."

 

    "I do," I tell her, turning into the store on my right, "but sometimes you gotta go through uncomfortable places to get what you want." I ring the bell on the counter and she gives me an unimpressed look.

 

    "You going to be speaking in metaphors all day, Lieutenant?"

 

    "Who, me? I'm just telling you how to get to Morlan's Famous Shop, now located on the presidium," I finish the sentence in a cheesy announcer's voice. The salarian in question comes to the counter with his version of a smile.

 

    "Ah! Lieutenant Vega! So good to see you again. And you brought Commander Shepard! What a very good day, I think."

 

    "Is it ready, Morlan?" I ask impatiently.

 

    "Of course, of course. Right here," he says, pulling the wrapped mod out from under the counter and handing it to Shepard.

 

    "What's this?" she asks, puzzled.

 

    "Just open it," I respond, nodding to Morlan to make himself scarce. I watch her expression turn to one of surprise and excitation as she unwraps the mod I ordered for her assault rifle. I've got to hand it to Morlan, he can get merchandise quick. Makes the trip to the presidium worth it.

 

    "Is this what I think it is?" she asks, her eyes flying up to meet mine.

 

    "That depends. Do you think it's that new mod that reduces the cooldown on your biotics so you can let loose that Flare you're so fond of more often? If so, then yes," I tell her, not bothering to hide my grin. She looks like a kid in a candy store for a split second before she shakes her head.

 

    "James, this thing is more expensive than my rifle. I can't accept it."

 

    "Don't worry about it, Lola," I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and steering her towards the exit. "Morlan owed me a favor. I accepted this as repayment." She looks uncertain, which I suppose she should. In reality, I transferred the credits to Morlan before I woke her up this morning. 

 

    "Are you sure?" she asks one more time.

 

    "Of course," I say, walking towards the shuttle pad with her still under my arm. She holds an inner debate for a minute before giving in.

 

    "All right. Thank you. I love it. Where to next?"

 

    "Where else?" I ask, hailing a cab. "The Armax Arena. I thought you'd like to test out that new mod. You know, blow some shit up." She smiles up at me.

 

    "Vega, you say the nicest things."


	3. Chapter 3

I'm standing in the Armax Arena with my jaw slightly ajar in shock, Shepard next to me with a smug look on her face. I let out a low whistle of admiration.

"Damn, Lola. When I said blow shit up I didn't mean their scoreboard." She nudges my shoulder without taking her eyes off the large malfunctioning board above us. Turns out when you get a score over 9999, like Shepard's 10950, you break the arena's system. Oops.

"Can it, Vega," she mutters, but I can hear the pride in her voice. It makes me smile.

"Don't look now, Shepard, but it almost seems like you're having fun." She gives me a look that's both amused and slightly offended at the same time, similar to that time in Purgatory when she accused me of thinking she doesn't like to get dirty. Damn, that look is hot on her. Her dusty pink lips curve up slightly at the corners and I'm pretty sure she can read that thought on my face.

"I know how to have fun, Vega," she counters. "And, as it happens, beating the hell out of your high score qualifies as fun." Her smile widens as I groan. I had overlooked that part.

"That's harsh, Lola. See if I ever take you on a date to the arena again." She rolls her eyes and heads towards the locker room.

"Don't be such a sore loser." I follow a step or two behind, far enough back to watch her hips sway as she walks. "Enjoying the view back there?" she asks without turning around. I grin. She'll have to try harder than that if she wants to make me blush.

"Every second of it." She scoffs, but I can guarantee there's a smile on her face. Shepard may be a skilled Commander, a formidable warrior, but she's still a woman. Being reminded that she's a gorgeous one every once and a while can't hurt.

The door to the locker room opens automatically as we approach. It's typically crowded with us grunts, but when Shepard comes through the arena management clears it out so she's not accosted by well meaning fans. Not that I blame them. Hell, a year ago I would have been right beside them, clamoring for an autograph. But the arena wants to keep her coming back, so they give her space. There's also a "Conrad Verner not allowed" sign that flashes on the door when she arrives, though I have no idea who that is.

I half expect her to order my ass out of the locker room as we walk in so she can change, but she doesn't. Instead she tosses her helmet and gloves on a nearby table and turns to me with a genuine smile, bright eyed and flushed with sweat.

"Thank you, James. This is the best date I've been on in a long time." She looks so sweet, so unburdened in this moment that I can't help myself. I step towards her, pressing her back into the lockers, and thread my still armored hand through her hair. I cup the back of her head and bring it towards me, claiming her lips with mine before she can stop me, though it's quickly apparent that stopping me isn't her intent. She shocks me by wrapping an arm around my neck to pull me closer and rolling her tongue into my mouth. She then presses her body against mine and I groan, regretting for the first time in my life my choice of heavy armor.

I entwine my tongue with hers, not too stunned to take advantage of the situation, and use the hand that's not cupping her head to attempt to open the side clasps on my armor without breaking away from her. Not an easy feat. Lola takes her arm away from the back of my neck and I try not to sigh in disappointment, certain she's about to end the kiss. Instead I feel her small hand, slightly calloused but still much softer than mine, push my hand away and start on the clasps. I quickly pull off my gloves, discarding them on the floor, before cupping her face with my very calloused hands and pressing my lips more firmly against hers.

I devour her mouth, stroking her tongue with my mine and refusing to let her up for air. Not that she's trying to. She tilts her head to the opposite side without breaking our kiss and starts in on the other set of clasps. I'd smile my cocky grin at her enthusiasm, but my lips very much prefer what they're doing right now. In fact, I think they've found their calling in life. Shepard apparently doesn't feel the same way though, since she breaks the kiss and pushes me back a step. It isn't until I hear the clink of my breastplate hitting the floor that I realize she's finished with the clasps. I step back into her, pinning her against the lockers more forcefully this time, and press kisses down her jawline while my hands go to work on her armor.

"You were amazing out there today," I say between kisses, barely recognizing my own lust drenched voice.

"Thanks," comes her breathless reply. "You weren't too bad yourself. The shot you landed on that brute was inspired." I grin against her skin as my kisses progress down her throat.

"I learned that one from you." I've finished with her breastplate but I'm not done yet. I trail my hands down her body, tracing those glorious curves while I move towards her greaves. Trying to keep my hands from shaking I pry open the clasps there, pressing periodic kisses across her stomach and hips to make sure I keep her full attention. She runs her hands up my shoulders, outline the muscles there before moving to my scalp, tracing it lightly with her nails and running her fingers through my mini Mohawk. She leans her head back against the lockers and moans when I lightly nip at her hipbone. I finish with her greaves and quickly unsnap my own before standing back up and ravishing her mouth once more.

Her skin is flushed and I can't tell if it's from the workout in the arena or the one in the locker room. I can definitely tell you which one has got my heart beating wildly. I'm starting to feel the crick in my neck from bending down so long, though, and I'm sure on her tippy toes isn't the most comfortable position for Shepard either.

"Hold on tight, Lola," I mutter against her lips, refusing to let them go long enough to speak. She wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, pulling my body more firmly against her and I moan my approval into her mouth. Feeling assured she's not going anywhere I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her up, walking towards the table. As soon as her luscious ass hits the table her hands are off my neck and exploring my body. They run up over my abs(which I may or may not be flexing for added effect), around my biceps, then back to rest on my pecs. She grinds her core lightly against my steel and I swear I see stars.

Shepard's tank has ridden up slightly in all the excitement, and I figure turnabout is fair play. I rub my hand across the exposed area on her lower stomach, memorizing the feel of her soft, smooth skin. I'm just about to move my hand higher when the intercom roars to life and we break apart like a couple of teenagers getting busted by a teacher.

"Commander Shepard!" comes the voice from overhead. "Congratulations on your high score. It seems you broke the scoreboard." He chuckles as if he's said something hilarious. Lola clears her throat before responding.

"Ahem, thank you, it was a good battle. And I'm sorry about your scoreboard." I glare at the intercom, torn between wanting to rip it out of the wall and being grateful for the interruption. The Armax Arena locker room is not where I want my first time with Shepard to be. Fourth or fifth time, hell yeah, but not the first. I step back between Lola's legs and press my forehead to hers, trying very hard to make sure that's the only thing pressing up against her, and decide to go with gratitude.

"No, no, don't be sorry," says the voice over the intercom. "to tell you the truth, I'm grateful. We've been trying to see what would happen when someone broke the 10,000 point barrier, but not even the team of Krogan battlemasters could manage it. I have a proposition for you. We've been experiencing quite a few bugs in the simulator lately and I think you're just the person to help us figure them out. What would you say to a paid consultant position? Stop by my office once you're changed and we can go over the details."

"She's taking the day off, pendejo," I answer for her, my gratitude quickly turning to anger. I've managed to clear Shepard's schedule for one entire day, there's no way the arena is messing that up for me. There's a hesitant pause before the voice speaks again, sounding embarrassed.

"I apologize, Commander. I had no idea you weren't alone. I'll message you the details." The line goes dead and Shepard sighs. 

"Thank you for the date, James. It was lovely." I chuckle and kiss her softly.

"It ain't over yet, Lola. Get changed, we've got places to go." I grab my things and wait for her outside the locker room. It's best I'm not in there while she's changing- I'm not a saint after all. Dios, am I looking forward to picking up where we left off. I sigh. Though the cold shower in my near future doesn't sound nearly so appealing.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, where to next James?" asks Lola, stepping out of the locker room. The doors shut noiselessly behind her as I reach for her hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. I hesitate for a second, waiting to see if she'll pull her hand away, but she just cocks an eyebrow at me expectantly. I grin down at her and head towards the exit, loving the feel of her hand in mine.

"Up next is a surprise, Lola." She rolls her eyes and sighs, but it's accompanied by a smile.

"Of course it is," she says as I lead her out of the arena and into the crowd milling around on the strip. 

"Any chance I can get you to close your eyes?" She snorts.

"Not a one." It's my turn to sigh.

"Fine. Let's go," I say, pulling her along lightly by our entwined hands. We turn to the left as we leave, strolling comfortably down the strip. I make a note to take her to that sushi joint we pass for our next date. And yes, there will be a next date. A little farther down I stop in front of a building on our right and she looks up at me in surprise. 

"The arcade?" she asks with the beginnings of a smile playing at the corners of her lips. The grin that seems to always be nearby when I'm around Shepard spreads across my face. 

"You bet your ass the arcade." I drop her hand and walk towards Shattered Eezo, rolling my shoulders and stretching on the way. "Now I know you're used to being the best at everything, but try not too cry too hard when I beat you. In public like this it would be bad for your reputation." She laughs at me.

"Really James? Trash talk over Shattered Eezo?"

"Better believe it, beautiful," I say, using my credit chit to get the game started. Shepard shakes her head at me mockingly while taking the opposing spot.

"I'll try not to embarrass you too badly," she says, popping her neck and cracking her knuckles. "Do you remember what happened last time we danced, Vega?" I'm reminded of being laid out flat on my back in the cargo bay by this relatively small woman and shiver. Luckily the holographic robot will be the one sporting the bruises this time, not me. Hopefully.

A crowd gathers around, eager to see the great Commander Shepard put some punk ass marine in his place and I can tell by the gleam in Lola's eye that she plans to do just that. She raises her fists and I'm beginning to regret challenging her, just a little. Who am I kidding? Even if- or should I say, when- she beats my ass into dust this will still be one of the best days of my life. The plan is working. Lola is looking at me and seeing me. Not some mistake from her past, not someone to guard her heart against, just me, James Vega. Hell, not an hour ago she was kissing me in the locker room. Yeah, today is a great day. I'm about to hit the start button when a voice stops me.

"Shepard? That you?" She freezes and I look beyond her to see what's got her upset. There's a man approaching, the one I assume spoke. He seem cocky, has a slim but muscular build that says he spends some time at the gym and is handsome enough, if you like that sort of thing. Mother fucker. It's Jacob Taylor. Lola pastes a smile to her face and turns to greet him. 

"Jacob," she says, managing to hide the strain in her voice, "what are you doing here?" He reaches Lola and pulls her into a hug that lasts longer than the standard three seconds. I clench and unclench my fists, reminding myself that I'm not allowed to beat the shit out of him in Castle Arcade. 

"I'm chaperoning for the day," he says, taking a small step back and gesturing at the teenagers milling around the arcade behind him. "Their parents are MIA and I volunteered to take them on for the weekend." He rubs his hand across his chin and gives her the once over. "Looking good, Shepard." She flushes slightly.

"Thanks Jacob. You too."

"Looks like I'm just in time to watch you put muscle boy down. He part of your crew?" She turns back towards me and Jacob takes a small step closer to her. I want to grab Lola's hand and pull her to me, but I don't. Something tells me she wouldn't be okay with that. 

"Right, yes, this is-"

"James Vega," I say, cutting her off and taking a step or two towards Jacob, my arm outstretched. He gives me a smirk he's trying to pass off as a smile.

"Jacob Taylor." He takes my hand and I squeeze hard enough to break the bones in his, only to be met with equal force. To anyone on the outside we look friendly enough, but I hate this guy and if the look in his eyes is anything to go by, he doesn't like me either.

"Shepard! There you are," comes a voice from the upper balcony. "Get up here and help me beat this goddamned game." She flashes the man a genuine smile. 

"Sorry Zaeed. I'm here with-"

"It's okay, Lola," I tell her, releasing Jacob's hand but not stepping back. "It'll only take, what, five, ten minutes for you to win the guy a stuffed Volus? I'll wait for you here." She gives me a curious look.

"You sure?" she asks. 

"Of course," I tell her with a nod in Zaeed's direction. "See if you can win one for me too." She laughs.

"You got it Vega." I wait until she's out of earshot before addressing Jacob. 

"So... Cerberus?" His eyes narrow at me.

"Former Cerberus."

"Ah, right. Slipped my mind," I say, sounding a bit smug. Point one to me in this little power play of ours.

"You do realize Shepard was Cerberus at that point too, right?" I look at him like he's an idiot.

"Shepard's never been with Cerberus." 

"Really?" he says condescendingly. "Then it was someone else we rebuilt and brought back to life? My mistake." I glare at him. 

"Using Cerberus resources to stop the Collectors doesn't make her Cerberus. I would think blowing up the Collector homeworld and telling the Illusive Man to go fuck himself would be proof of that." He drops that topic and moves on to the next, knowing I have him beat.

"So you took Commander Shepard out on a date to Castle Arcade? Classy." I shrug at him, refusing to be baited.

"Lola seems to be enjoying it." He laughs at me.

"You call her Lola?"

"Apparently, I look like a Lola," says the woman in question, coming down the stairs. I check my watch.

"Damn, that was fast. Only three minutes Lola?" She grins and hands me a large stuffed Volus.

"What can I say? I've got skills."

"Yeah you do," says Jacob under his breath. Shepard apparently didn't hear it, but I did. I go to take a step towards him but Shepard stops me with a hand to my chest, hidden by the Volus, and minutely shakes her head. Jacob continues on in a louder voice, oblivious to Lola just saving his life. "Aren't men usually the ones that win those for their girls?"

"Ah, Jacob," Shepard says with a sigh, "if you remembered anything about me you'd know I don't need a man to take care of a thing for me. When they fail to perform, I just take care of myself." She finishes the sentence with raised eyebrows and I choke back a laugh. A slight red raises to Jacob's cheeks.

"Bryn wanted me to say 'hi' if I ran into you," says Jacob and the laughter in Lola's eyes dies, though she's still trying to hold onto her smile. Low blow, asshole.

"That's great," she says, her tone wavering only slightly. "How's she doing?"

"She's good," he says, leaning on the nearest game console. "She's working with Hackett's Brain Trust to help with the Crucible. I'd love to be out there with her, but then again neither one of us are smart enough to be of any use, eh Shepard?" Her smile slips and I'm a millisecond away from laying him out flat when one of the kids comes running up.

"Jacob, I need more credits!" He tosses her a credit chit and turns back to find I've advanced on him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I menace, barely above a whisper. "It's not enough that you screwed with her heart, now you have to rub it in too?" Remorse flashes across his face.

"I didn't mean to. I was just-"

"Yeah," I cut him off. "I know what you were doing." I glare down at him, taking full advantage of the couple inches I have on him before turning and holding a hand out to Lola. She takes it and I smile at her, all menace gone. "Come on, Lola. Dinner's up next." We leave the arcade without looking back, and I pray that asshole hasn't undone all the progress I've made with Shepard.


	5. Chapter 5

Purgatory sure looks different up on the third floor. Don't get me wrong, it's still Purgatory; there's loud music, drinks, and Asari dancers gyrating on moving platforms. But instead of a beer bottle these drinks come in a whiskey tumbler, and instead of Alliance uniforms people here are in tuxes and cocktail dresses, myself included. The half naked Asari are pretty much the same though.

I drum my fingers nervously on the bar, trying to calm myself down. It's been two hours since I dropped Lola off at her apartment with instructions to get dressed up and meet me here, then hopped on the closest shuttle and raced back to the Normandy to get ready myself. The ship was basically deserted, everyone out taking advantage of a full day and night of shore leave, a fact I was glad for as it meant there was no wait time for the shower. I scrubbed down quickly but thoroughly, careful to get off all the sweat I'd worked up in the arena- and afterwards in the locker room. This was followed by forcing my thoughts quickly away from the locker room, since I didn't want to switch my shower to cold.

I finished rinsing off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a big, fluffy white towel around my waist. I probably could've lingered under the water for a bit longer, but after a decade in the military it's been driven into my head that anything over three minutes is a blessing and anything over five is a waste. I stepped up in front of the mirror, examining my reflection with a sigh. After all the shit with Jacob at the arcade, would Lola still be willing to give me a shot? Would she even show up tonight?

Taking her dancing was the last part of the plan, the final step in replacing those warning bells with good memories featuring yours truly. I turned on the faucet and splashed some water on my face. This ain't over yet, and I'm not about to let Lola slip away without a fight. The face in the mirror glared back at me, determined.

"You can do this, Vega. Put your game face on." I heard laughter from the doorway behind me and spotted Esteban in the background of my reflection. I turned my glare on him, trying to cover up my embarrassment. "Something I can do for you?" I asked, trying to sound intimidating. He just raised an eyebrow and held up a clothing bag.

"Is that the thanks I get for picking your tux up from the cleaners?" I retrieved the bag from him, my cheeks growing warm from guilt for snapping at him.

"Thanks man. I almost forgot about it."

"Yeah, well, luckily I didn't," he said, leaning against the door frame. "I've never seen you so nervous before, James. It's cute." My glare returned, any guilt forgotten.

"It's not cute." He rolled his eyes.

"Vega, you and the commander are practically made for each other. Surely by the end of tonight she'll have realized that." He took a closer look at me when I didn't answer. "Won't she?" I shook my head softly.

"I don't know Esteban. I would have said absolutely, right up until we got to the arcade."

"What happened at the arcade?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"We, uh, we ran into someone." He groaned, his tone loosing it's concern and gaining exasperation.

"Please don't tell me one of your one night stands showed up. You didn't flirt with an Asari, did you?" I smiled bitterly and shook my head.

"I wish it were that simple. No, we ran into Jacob Taylor." His face went blank for a moment.

"Well... shit." The chuckle that escaped my mouth had no humor in it.

"My thoughts exactly. He even went out of his way to make sure she knew how happy he is with his new life." Esteban pulled air in through his teeth.

"Please tell me you knocked him out." I shook my head again and turned back to the mirror.

"Nope. I didn't think Lola would appreciate that." He thought it over for a minute and then nodded.

"You're probably right. So, what's your game plan?" I took a deep breath and released it before meeting his gaze in the mirror.

"Show up, and hope she does the same."

"She'll show," he said, sounding far more confident than I felt. He pushed off the doorway and started to leave but my voice stopped him.

"But what if she doesn't?" I hated the sound of my voice. It was desperate and scared and made me want to kick my own ass. Esteban turned back and for the second time in fifteen minutes he took a closer look at my face. When he spoke again his voice was filled with empathy.

"You love her, don't you?" I would've liked to deny it, but it just wasn't possible. I nodded my head silently. I was expecting some sort of comfort or coddling, some sensitive shit that would make me hate myself even more, but Cortez surprised me. He just chuckled.

"Figures you'd fall in love as soon as you met your match. With that in mind, what do you think Shepard would do if you didn't show up?" I took one last deep breath, losing track of how many that made in the last half hour, and turned off the faucet.

"Right," I said, headed towards the elevator. "If she doesn't show I'll just have to go haul her ass out of her apartment myself." Cortez patted me on the back as I passed him.

"That's my boy."

Now, at Purgatory, I turn away from the bar and survey the crowd again. I've been waiting here twenty minutes and there's been no sign of Lola yet. I finish the last of my scotch, trying to decide what to do. Should I really go over to her apartment? Pound on the door until she answers and make her see I'm nothing like Jacob Taylor? Or should I let her be? Give her space, let her make her own decision? I chuckle and pay my tab, about to head for the door and a shuttle to take me to her place when I see her. And for half a second I literally cannot pull any air into my lungs.

Lola is stunning, even more so than usual which is saying something. Her dark brown hair, normally pulled back into a functional ponytail is falling down past her shoulders and framing her heart-shaped face. Her sparkling blue eyes are smoky and lined with black, making them even more attention grabbing than usual. The dusty pink lips I've become obsessed with are glossed and I wonder if that makes them even more delicious, though the memory of their taste would be hard to beat.

And damn, that dress! Her armor isn't exactly loose but that cocktail dress hugs her curves like a second skin. It's a silvery-blue thing, held up by two thin straps and I laugh at the small N-7 designation on the right one. The skirt ends a few inches above her knees, allowing me to ogle parts of her I've never been able to before. I let my eyes trail down her tan, well defined legs and admire the three inch heels she's sporting. I make my way back up her body, trying not to hyperventilate, only to find her eyes looking back at me, amused.

I transform my shocked look into a cocky grin and make my way across the room to her. She opens her mouth to greet me but I grab her by the waist and pull her body against mine, replacing her words with my tongue. She makes that squeak in the back of her throat that I'm beginning to love and places her hands on my chest. I break away and put my forehead on hers.

"You came," I say, breathlessly. She smiles softly.

"I came."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter(minus worrying about being judged by my choice of music. If it's any consolation, I also adore Linkin Park and Pink)! There are a bunch of songs referenced, none of them belong to me. They are-
> 
> "Lola" by The Kinks  
> "Sleeping With a Friend" by Neon Trees  
> "Best Day of my Life" by American Authors  
> "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba  
> "Talk Dirty" by Jason Derulo  
> "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk  
> "The Man" by Aloe Blacc  
> "Who Run the World(Girls)" by Beyonce
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Shepard takes a step back, effectively reminding me that she's not mine, at least not yet. Game on, Lola.

"So, drinks and dancing?" she asks, heading towards the bar. I follow closely behind, staring down anyone whose gaze lingers on her too long. She slides into a spot recently vacated and catches the bartender's attention almost immediately. She orders a Serrice Iced Brady and I gesture to make it two.

"There's a twist on our drinking and dancing tonight, Lola," I say, leaning towards her as I speak so she can hear me over the noise. The bartender brings us our drinks and she takes a sip, looking intrigued.

"Oh? And what's that?" I grin at her and pull up my Omnitool.

"I've arranged for both our Omnitools to be linked to the club's speakers. Any song you can think of, this program will find it. We're choosing all the music here tonight." She smiles up at me, entertained.

"You're right, Vega. That is a twist."

"It gets better. Just to make this a bit more interesting every song we play has to be at least 150 years old." She chokes on her drink. Another tip Scars gave me- she's into retro. Way retro. I think she suspects I had help with this piece of information and eyes me suspiciously.

"Why would you even think I'd know any songs that old?" I shrug innocently.

"Lucky guess." She's not buying it but it doesn't matter, she's interested. "Here," I say, typing away on my Omnitool. "I'll start."

"Ladies and gentlemen," comes the voice of the automated female DJ through the speakers, "Welcome to retro night at Purgatory's third floor. Those of you looking to continue your party with a more modern flair are welcome to join us on any of the other floors." There are a few groans as a fair amount of people head towards the exit, leaving the once crowded room more sparsely populated. Shepard watches them leave with an amused glint in her eye.

"And how much did taking over Purgatory's systems for a night cost you, James?" I roll my eyes.

"Just wait for the music, Lola." I'd never tell her, but between this and the mod for her weapon this morning I'm nearly cleared out. Or at I would be if I wasn't such a damn good poker player. As it is, the crew of the Normandy and the boys in the holding docks have financed this date. The song starts to play and I watch her face to see if she recognizes the song.

I met her in a club down in North Soho, Where you drink champagne and it takes just like Cherry Cola. C-O-L-A Cola.

She throws her head back and laughs, a full bodied one that you can't help but smile at.

"Lola, by The Kinks," she says through her laughter. I nod approvingly.

"I thought you'd like this one, Lola."

"Vega, you do realize this is a song about a man dressed like a woman, right?" My eyebrows hit my hairline. No, I didn't. Damn it, smooth move, Vega. Okay, I can save this, I think, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the dance floor which is pretty deserted by this point. I take her hand in mine, placing the other on her waist, and we start a modified slow dance, swaying to the beat. I listen for the next verse.

Well I'm not dumb but I can't understand, Why she walks like a woman and talks like a man.

"It doesn't have to be about that," I tell her. "You walk like a woman and shout orders like a man." She raises an eyebrow.

"So now you have to be a man to be a good commander?" I groan.

"Work with me here, Lola." She laughs and sings along.

"It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world-"

"Except for Lola," I sing, pulling her the smallest bit closer. "Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola." I kiss her, softly, without any of the rush that normally overtakes our kisses, memorizing the way her lips move against mine. The songs closing lyrics fade and I reluctantly pull away. She shoots me a grin and brings up her Omnitool, quickly choosing the next song. The beginning of a pseudo rock song plays and Shepard starts to dance. It seems it doesn't matter if it's mag boots or stilettos, my girl moves gracefully. She lets the first verse go by before she starts to sing to me.

"And why mess up a good thing baby? It's a risk to even fall in love." I grin, recognizing "Sleeping With a Friend," and step closer to her, joining her in her dance. She looks up at me and continues singing. "So when you give that look to me, I better look back carefully, 'cause this is trouble, yeah this is trouble." I let the chorus and another verse pass, happily losing myself in the movement of her hips before I sing back to her.

"And why leave when I got you, baby? It's a risk, but babe, I need the thrill. I never said you'd be easy, but if it was all up to me, I'd be no trouble, hey we're in trouble." My singing voice isn't as nice as hers, but I think I got my point across. The emotion shining out of her eyes is hesitantly trusting, and I feel like celebrating a major victory. I need to remember to send Scars a fruit basket. Do Turians eat fruit? Shepard's voice brings me back to the present.

"But if my heart's gonna break before the night will end-"

"Never," I cut her off, completely serious. "That will never be me." I can feel the heat coming out of my eyes and I know the few people left on the dance floor have stopped to stare at us, but I don't care. I need her to know that I will never be the one that causes her heart to break.

"James," she says quietly, "your turn." I realize the music has stopped and shake off my intensity, pulling up my Omnitool. I smile at her, trying to bring back her jovial mood, as "Best Day of My Life" starts to play. She laughs and starts to dance again. That song is followed up by "Tubthumping," then tequila shots, and I play "Talk Dirty." I don't know who started the rumor that Shepard can't dance, but they were wrong. Damn, she can shake that ass.

"This song would never work these days," she tells me over the music.

"Why's that?" I ask, only halfway listening, definitely distracted by the way her backside is fit so snugly into my front.

"Translators," she declares, starting to get a bit tipsy. "Doesn't matter if you go around the globe, you always speak the language." She giggles, actually giggles, and I start to think she's a bit past tipsy.

"Are you drunk, Lola?"

"Of course not!" she says, sounding offended. "In fact, more shots!" She heads for the bar and I mourn the loss of her body pressed against mine. She orders two more shots and we down them before she turns to me.

"Thank you, James. I needed this, all of this," she says and I know she's not just talking about tonight. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Anytime Lola." She pulls up her Omnitool and plays "Get Lucky" with a wink. I laugh yet again, trying to remember the last time I laughed so much and coming up short.

"Now I know you're drunk," i tell her. She scoffs.

"Just because you can't hold your liquor, Lieutenant, doesn't mean I can't." She walks back towards the dance floor, not even wobbling in her heels. I follow quickly behind, not willing to give an opening to any of the men that have been tracking her movements all night. I'd like to think I'm getting lucky tonight, but I'm pretty sure Lola's just teasing me. Then again, the last time I thought that about her flirting I nearly missed out on having her all together, so what do I know?

I follow up "Get Lucky" with "I'm the Man." Shepard rolls her eyes but dances along, though long before my song is over she's got another one in the queue. I pull her close, matching the movement of my body to hers.

"I'm guessing whoever started the rumor that you can't dance has never actually seen it for themselves," I say, leaning down close to her, making the mental excuse that it's so she can hear me.

"Actually, I accidentally started it myself." I look at her with surprise and a little bit of disbelief.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was on shore leave before the first Normandy blew up at a club called Flux. There was, and I guess still is, this super obsessed fan named Conrad Verner-"

"The one not allowed in the arena at the same time as you?" I interrupt. She nods.

"That would be the one. Anyway, he came up and asked me to dance. I didn't want to embarrass him in front of a club full of people, so I just told him I can't dance." I chuckle.

"And word got around, huh?" She shrugs.

"Conrad Verner isn't known for keeping his mouth shut." The last notes of my song fade out and hers immediately starts playing, that one about girls running the world. I'll give her that one, it's a good comeback. Besides, between her, Eve of the Krogan, the Salarian Dalatross, Tali on the Admiralty Board, and the entire Asari race, I think she might be onto something.

Song after song continues to play and before I know it I'm glancing down at my watch to find it's well past one in the morning. After the current song ends I press a key on my Omnitool and the music overhead switches to the latest song by Expel 10. The room starts to fill up again and I gesture towards the exit. Lola nods her agreement and we head out to the shuttle pad, hailing a taxi. I keep her hand firmly in mine through all this, feeling like I've been granted some sort of unspoken privilege on that account. I plan to take full advantage of it. I slip into the back of the cab next to Lola and give directions for the Sunset Strip before relaxing beside her.

Despite the alcohol Shepard looks bright eyed and unimpaired, which is good. Regretting the night before, even just because of a hangover, is never a good sign for a first date. We complete the ride in a comfortable silence, not breaking it until we're in the hallway that leads to her apartment.

"Well, I guess this is you," I say, stopping in front of her door. I'm not about to press for an invite inside. I remember what she said last night about not spending the night in her cabin anytime soon. I've made an amazing amount of progress today, I'm not going to-

My train of thought is cut short when Lola wraps her arms around my neck and pulls my head down to hers, meshing our lips together. It's my turn for the surprised noise in the back of my throat, which quickly turns into a groan. I wrap my hands around her waist and return the kiss with vigor. She breaks away a moment later and smiles up at me, a mixture of coyness and wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Would you like to come in?" I stare at her, stunned.

"But I thought you said-"

"This isn't my cabin, is it?" she interrupts. Lola turns and walks into her apartment, leaving the door wide open behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

I'd like to say I hesitate in that hallway. That I consider the drinks we had, the time of night, and how much of an impact this would have on our relationship. I'd like to say that, but I can't. As soon as my mind registers what's going on I'm through that door, no more than a few seconds behind Shepard. The door slides shut silently behind me and I take a few large steps to eat up the distance between us. Shepard hasn't so much as glanced behind her to see if I'm following. She continues her path to the bar, certain that I can't just walk away. And damn if she isn't 100% right.

"Care for something to drink?" she asks almost casually, still not turning. "I have- oh!" I grab her arm and spin her to face me, pulling her body into mine with the same movement. Judging by her surprised exclamation she wasn't expecting me to be so close. I don't give her any time to get her bearing back, immediately capturing her lips with mine and invading her mouth with my tongue. Hers duels right back, no hesitation in her now. It seems when Lola commits to something she commits just as hard as I do. Of course I haven't heard any actual words of commitment from her yet, but those can wait. My lips are once again enjoying their favorite past time. 

I run my hand down along her body, grazing her breasts on my way to her ass. I palm it and pull her tight against me, already hard as a rock. I wonder if Lola will always get to me this way. In ten years will I react with the same amount of hunger? The answer comes immediately: yes. Shepard twists her tongue in my mouth, tracing the roof of it before biting down gently on my lower lip. I groan and she smiles, I can feel it against my lips.

I try to push her back into a wall, but she sidesteps me and ends up pushing me into it instead. Her deft fingers start to unbutton my tux and I break our kiss, gasping for breath. Her eyes drop down to focus on what her hands are doing and I use what little breath I have left to chuckle.

"This isn't how I had imagined this going," I say. She glances up at me, amusement glittering in her eyes under an arched eyebrow.

"Oh? And how have you pictured it?" I shrug, suddenly flustered. Nice one James, admit you've been fantasizing about the commander. 

"I don't know. For starters I figured I'd be the one that had you up against the wall." She shakes her head with a smile. 

"That's already happened once today, Lieutenant. My turn now." She leans up and outlines my collarbone with her tongue. I shiver.

"Th-then I thought I'd strip you down, take my time, tease you a bit before taking you to a bed and-" she bites down on my shoulder and I inhale sharply, "-and, uh, show you what I can do."

"What's the matter, Vega?" she mocks. "Can't handle a woman that knows what she likes?" She finishes with my shirt and rips the sides apart. Her hands run along my muscles for the second time today, over my abs, scraping my nipples lightly as she passes my pecs, ending at my shoulders where she pushes the shirt off. I grin down at her. 

"Oh, I can handle it, Lola." The look she gives me is pure sex kitten.

"Good." She steps towards me and I use her own small bit of momentum against her, spinning her so that she takes my place against the wall. 

"The real question is can you handle a man that won't just roll over and relinquish control?" The look in her eyes is so hot she smolders. She's so hot, in fact, I'm worried I might catch fire, but I can't stop touching her. Couldn't even if someone held a gun to my head.

"You know me, Vega. I like a challenge." Her eyes hold a dare to do my worst and damned if I don't want to do just that. I'm fighting the urge to flip up her skirt, tear off her panties, and plunge into her. Take her hard and fast right here. It almost physically hurts to resist that urge, but I've been fantasizing about Shepard for a long time; before I even met her, in fact. I want to savor this. I pin her hands to the wall over her head, holding both her wrists in place with one of my hands. I use the other to trail down the side of her face, past her collar bone, and trace the neckline of her dress, gently caressing the swell of her breasts with the back of my fingers. Lola suppresses a shiver and I smile. It's good to know I'm not alone in this torment.

"Do you have any idea how long I've imagined doing this, Lola?" I whisper into her ear before lightly biting her lobe. She arches her neck to give me better access and shakes her head slightly. I suck on her earlobe and then blow on it lightly, admiring the goose bumps that appear on her arms. "Years," I say, tracing her jawline slowly with my lips. "Ever since I saw you become the first human spectre on the vids." I capture her mouth briefly before continuing. "Not only are you gorgeous, you're a bad ass too. You're everything I've ever wanted. Never in a million years did I think I'd get to actually be here with you."

"And what comes next in these fantasies of yours?" she asks, sounding only slightly out of breath. I drag my tongue lightly along her collar bone. 

"Next I would-" I don't get the chance to finish my sentence. Lola hooks her ankle behind mine and pushes forward hard with her hips, causing me to trip back and go crashing to the floor. Before I can gather my wits she's on top of me, straddling my waist with the bottom of her skirt riding up to the top of her thighs. She rolls her body along mine, slowly, languorously, until she's draped across me, her mouth mere centimeters from my own. Everywhere her body touches mine feels like it's on fire. 

"You're not the only one that's entertained fantasies, Lieutenant," she practically purrs. I clear my throat.

"I-I'm not?"

"Not even close," says Lola with a wicked smile. She kisses me, lips clinging to mine all too briefly before pulling away and moving down my body until she's level with the clasp of my pants. "Would you like to know how mine go?" She runs her tongue along the bottom of my stomach, just underneath the waistband of my pants. I try to chuckle only to find I don't have enough air in my lungs to pull it off.

"I don't think my heart could survive it, Lola." I feel her grin against my skin.

"Come on, Vega," she teases. "You can take it." I take a deep breath and steel my nerves.

"All right. How do they start?"

"Like this," comes her response an instant before I feel her amazing tongue trace the grooves between my abs. I'm torn between wanting to close my eyes and enjoy the sensation and needing to watch her as she does it. The need wins out. Her eyes are on my face and she send me a wink as she moves up to my pecs, using the flat of her tongue to circle my nipple. And that's about all I can take. Taking a page from her book and using my hips as leverage I flip her over to her back, managing to unzip her dress mid-flip. It's true this floor isn't exactly soft, but that's the beauty of sleeping with a woman that's kicked my ass in hand to hand combat: I don't have to hold back like I normally do.

Although that doesn't stop be from keeping the majority of my weight off her body. I wouldn't want to crush her, after all. I'm supporting myself on my forearms which are conveniently placed on either side of her body, caging her in. She arches her body up into mine, pressing her glorious chest into me. It seems our little challenge for control is making her eager and I'd be a damned liar if I said it wasn't doing the same to me. At this point my cock is so hard I could hammer nails with it. I press it between her legs and she lets her head drop back, eyes closed. Point for me.

I focus my attack on that sensitive neck of hers, pressing open mouth kisses along it. Hopefully that will distract her from my true purpose of slipping those dress straps off her shoulders. Either the kisses are doing their job or she's just as eager to reduce the number of layers between us as I am. The straps slip off her shoulders easily and the fact that her dress is already undone allows me to push them off her arms, completely exposing her torso. I quickly unsnap the front clasp on her bra and free her breasts. Her beautiful, incredible breasts. I stare at them in awe, wondering what good I did in another life to earn this privilege. I must be staring a bit too long though because Shepard clears her throat.

"Ahem, James? As flattered as I am that you like what you see, do you have any intention of doing more than looking?" I grin, attempting to downplay the fact that I was just hypnotized by her breasts. An attempt undermined by my voice coming out like a growl.

"A hell of a lot more than look, Lola." I cup the globes in my hands, resting their weight on my palms, and wrap my lips around one of the nipples while brushing across the other one lightly with my thumb. I bite down lightly and release, letting the blood rush to the surface before licking and sucking. In my experience it makes the sensations more intense. My guess is that Shepard agrees, judging by the way she gasps and arches her back, pressing her breast more firmly into my mouth. I circle her nipple one last time with my tongue before switching to the other breast and repeating the pattern. 

By this point she's clutching my head to her breast, holding it in place, while she shamelessly grinds against me. She begins to increase her tempo and I think she's about to crest when she instead pushes me off of her and stands. I'm so surprised I don't even try to counter the movement. She lets her dress fall to the ground and steps out of it. She's standing barefoot above me, her stilettos lost sometime between the front door and now, while I stare up at her holding my breath, praying she's not going to put a stop to this now. I can't even imagine how many cold showers and alone time would be required to take care of the hard-on I'm sporting if she does. A faint smile turns up the corners of her mouth and I let the breath out. I don't think she's sending me away.

"As great as the floors in this place are, I have a large, private Jacuzzi off my bedroom that I think I hear calling our names." She heads for the stairs, but once again I'm closer behind her than she realizes. I push myself up to my feet and race up the stairs, sweeping her up in my arms as I pass her. When I place her back down on her feet in her room she's laughing. 

"A little eager there, Vega?"

"Years, Lola," I remind her, threading my fingers into her hair and pulling her lips towards mine. "Years." She closes the remaining distance between us herself. Her lips press against mine at the same time her chest does and I can't hold back a groan. She pops open the button on my pants and unzips them before stepping away.

"Hot tub's this way," she says with a nod behind her. I strip off my pants and follow her path into the bathroom to find her waiting beside a tub that takes up half of the room, definitely big enough for two people. She quirks an eyebrow. "Still a bit overdressed, aren't you?"

"No more than you," I counter, crossing my arms and flicking my eyes to the panties she still wears. She tilts her head to the side.

"Well, I guess fair is fair," she says, hooking her thumbs into the waistband and pulling her last remaining piece of clothing off. I will myself not to go slack-jawed, but I'm not sure if I accomplish it. Commander Shepard, Savior of the Citadel, Destroyer of the Collector Homeworld, and, my personal favorite, just plain Lola is standing in front of me, completely naked. It is by fair the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. She clears her throat and I blush, once again caught mesmerized by the parts of her I've never seen before.

"Your turn," she says, gesturing to my briefs. I take them off quicker than I ever have before and step towards her. She laughs and steps backwards into the hot tub, her head disappearing beneath the surface. I think I've proven a pattern tonight of chasing after Lola every time she takes a teasing step back, so it should be no surprise to anyone that I'm in that water a split second later, taking a seat on the conveniently placed bench along one side. 

Shepard surfaces in front of me and wraps her arms around my neck, giving me a passionate kiss. I take hold of her waist, lifting her up and rearranging her body so that she's straddling my waist, her knees on either side of my thighs. I align her opening over my throbbing shaft and plunge upwards as I pull her down, seating myself to the hilt in a single thrust. 

She breaks our kiss with a gasp, clinging to my shoulders while I begin to move inside of her. She rolls her hips in time with my thrusts, pressing her clit into my pubic bone. Her inner muscles start to flutter and I recite Biotiball stats in my head to keep from finishing too soon. She leans back in the water, putting some space between us and exposing her breasts. Which I, of course, take as an invitation to worship them with my tongue and proceed to do so. Her breathing speeds up and her heart rate increases.

"James," she moans, dropping her head back and closing her eyes. Something about her saying my name has my blood pumping hotter and I thrust harder, faster.

"God, yes Lola. Say my name." Her inner walls start to clamp down around me and she's getting her breath through short pants. The sounds she's making don't qualify as words anymore and for a split second she seems to stop breathing completely before the tension in her breaks. She moves against me faster, panting my name. She's gorgeous when she comes. Her orgasm pulls me into my own and before I can help myself I'm coming with her. She falls against me, exhausted, and nuzzles her head into my shoulder. I softly rub her back as the aftershocks fade.

I'm not dumb enough to say it, but I'm thinking it so loudly she can probably hear me. What happens now? Do we build on this or does she try(not that she'd succeed) to shut me out again? Is she going to ask me to stay the night or am I supposed to go back to the Normandy? If that's the case then at least I'll be promised sweet dreams by these memories. She turns her head to face me and studies me with those big blue eyes of hers. She yawns, though I'm not sure how real it is.

"You sure know how to wear a girl out, Vega," she says with a smile. "How about we get dried off and slip into bed, hmm? In the morning it'll be my turn to make eggs." My heart seems to swell and I return her smile.

"Sounds pretty perfect to me, Lola."


	8. Chapter 8

It's been two weeks since I woke up in Shepard's apartment, alone in bed. I reached out for her only to find her missing, her side of the bed already cold. It couldn't have been a dream since I was laying in her bed, not mine, for which I thanked my lucky stars. If I had woken up to find I had dreamed the whole thing I would have really been pissed.

The smell of fresh coffee wafting up the stairs quickly answered the question of where she went. I swung my legs to the ground and stretched with a satisfied smile. Last night was incredible. Let's just say the hot tub was only the opening act. I pushed up off the bed and to my feet, retrieving my boxers from the floor and slipping them on before heading down the stairs and towards the kitchen. 

I turned the corner into the kitchen and stopped short, a smile curving the edges of my mouth. Shepard was standing in front of the stove dressed in her panties and a tank, swaying and singing along to "The Girl From Impanema." I leaned against the counter and used that moment to take her in. How could this woman manage to be so many different things? The bad ass commander, the graceful dancer, the passionate lover, and this morning the adorable woman cooking breakfast in sock feet. I have no idea how she does it, but she's everything I could ever want and then some. Shepard put more bacon in the frying pan and sang,

"Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Impanema goes walking-"

"I don't know about the tall part, Lola," I interrupted, "but I agree with the rest." She didn't start at the sound of my voice and if she was surprised to find me watching her I saw no sign of it. She just sent me a sly smile over one shoulder.

"We can't all be hulking behemoths, James. And last time I checked my height didn't keep me from kicking your ass." I walked towards her, the look in my eyes hungry for more than food. I stopped behind her, put my arm around her waist, and began to sway with her to the song.

"Trust me when I say I have no complaints about your height, or any other part of your body for that matter." I pressed a kiss behind her ear and then rested my chin on top of her head, a perfect fit. I could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke again. 

"Well I guess you would know, Lieutenant, judging by how thoroughly you examined it last night." I took a small step away from the stove and spun her around to face me, putting one hand on her waist and taking her hand in my other one. I led her in a slow, intimate dance while the singer in the background crooned what I was thinking-

How can he tell her he loves her?

I knew she wasn't ready to hear it, not by a long shot, but that couldn't stop me from feeling it. I'm in love with Lola, a fact that I wouldn't be embarrassed to tell the universe if I didn't feel like she should probably be the first one to know it. Well, besides Esteban, but that was unavoidable. I decided to leave that problem for future James, since that guy's probably a jerk anyway, and just enjoy the feel of Lola in my arms.

"The bacon's going to burn," she said, looking up at me. I smiled down at her.

"Then let it burn," I said and kissed her softly. Shore leave ended that day at noon so we didn't have much time for anything else after breakfast. Well, except for that quick shower. Together. I'm sure I don't need to elaborate. 

Then we were off again, saving the galaxy one mission at a time. Two missions in the last week, in fact. We're on fire. And, true to Shepard's word, I have yet to spend the night in her cabin. Though I have spent quite a few afternoons in it, and sparring in the cargo hold has turned into one of my very favorite pastimes. Esteban has started making himself scarce around that time. I guess he doesn't particularly like our new rule of "kiss goes to the victor." That's okay though, I like it more than enough for the both of us. 

Unfortunately there will be no sparring for us today. We've been ordered back to the Citadel for some R&R by Admiral Hackett, a full three days while the Normandy gets some TLC. Lola already warned me I'm not allowed to hijack her schedule again. Granted she told me this while we were up on the couch in her cabin, one of her legs draped across mine and holding hands, so it made me a bit more amendable. 

I'm currently down in the cargo hold taking care of some inventory for the armory when my omnitool rings, an incoming call from Lola. I answer it with a smile.

"Well hello Gorgeous." She returns my smile with one of her own, accompanied by a blush so faint you wouldn't see it if you weren't looking for it. I am. It's a new look on her, happy without a touch of bitterness, and I swell with pride that I helped put it there.

"Hey James. How's the inventory coming?" I shrug.

"It's coming. How's the Citadel?" I haven't even made it off the ship yet. "Have you even been to your apartment or are you still in meetings?" She rolls her eyes. She doesn't think she works too much, I disagree.

"Actually, that's where I'm at right now. I just got a message from Joker asking me to meet him at that Ryuusei sushi place for dinner." I groan. 

"Damn it, I was planning on taking you there for dinner tomorrow night." Stupid inventory. She laughs. 

"Tell you what, you can still take me there and I'll pretend it's my first time, all right?" I grumble but agree and make a mental note to mess with Joker's chair in the cockpit for retribution. "Anyway," she continues, hopefully oblivious to my internal plotting, "I was thinking since this dinner is fairly early maybe you'd want to meet back at my place for dessert? Around, say, 9 o'clock?" I grin, any thoughts of revenge quickly forgotten.

Here's the thing, despite being able to find some alone time together we haven't made love since that morning in her apartment. I'm not saying there hasn't been a few hot and heavy make out sessions, but nothing further than that. There seems to be some line in Shepard's head between life on the Normandy and life everywhere else, a line she isn't ready to cross yet, and I'm okay with that. I've had to make use of a freezing cold shower a few times, but I'm not about to push her on this. I told her I could wait and I will. However, I'd have to be an idiot not to jump at her offer.

"9 o'clock sounds perfect, Lola. I should be done with all this by then." And if I'm not this inventory will just have to wait until tomorrow. Her smile turns coy.

"Great, I'm looking forward to it." She ends the call and I'm sure the look on my face screams love struck fool, but I don't care. I hurry through my task and have all the weapons put away within an hour. I'm glaring at all the paperwork waiting for me when my omnitool rings again. I answer it without looking, convinced it's my girl.

"Hello Beautiful." A male voice clears his throat.

"As flattered as I am, Vega, I think the Commander would kill us both." I glare down at the screen.

"Aren't you supposed to be at dinner with Shepard?"

"About that," he says, and for the first time I notice his heavy breathing and the shifting view behind him. It seems like Joker is trying to get somewhere in a hurry. "Turns out it was an ambush. Shepard sent me to go get you guys while she tries to rescue the intelligence officer that tipped us off. Granted it was a few seconds before the actual attack, but hey, it's the thought that counts." I've grabbed my armor out of my locker and am putting it on in the elevator before he's finished his sentence. I've never noticed how slowly this thing moves before.

"Is she armed?" I ask, switching the call to voice only so I can fasten my armor. I hear a skycar door shut on Joker's end.

"She took a pistol off one the mercs as I was leaving, but she's not in armor." He mutters something about being bait that I don't quite catch. The doors open to the CIC as I'm snapping shut the last closure on my armor. Just Shepard armed with a pistol against an army of mercs? At least without all her gear weighing her down she'll be able to unleash her biotics more frequently. Still, without armor she's a sitting duck. I jog through the CIC towards the air seal.

"What were her last known coordinates?" 

"Ryuusei Sushi in the wards. I'm sure once you get close enough you can just follow the gun fire." I'd make a sarcastic remark but I'm pretty sure he's right. I flag down the first shuttle I see and direct them towards the Silversun Strip. Hold on, Lola. I'm coming.


	9. Chapter 9

No sooner does the shuttle touch down on the strip than I'm out the door and making a mad dash towards Ryuusei. I plan on pushing my way through to the front of the line- there's not much a big man in heavy armor can't barrel through- but find that's not necessary. I'm nearing the restaurant when the crowd around me starts to thicken and I hear snippets of conversations.

"-she just fell right through the floor."

"Commander Shepard-"

"-such a shame too. I loved that place!" 

I groan and take a step back from the crowd. It's obvious Shepard isn't here anymore and she somehow managed to destroy their fish tank floor. So much for that second date I had planned. My omnitool pings, another call from Joker.

"James? Did you make it to the sushi place yet?"

"Yeah, I'm here but Shepard's not. You might want to swing by and see if that analyst is still here. I'm going after Shepard on foot." I disconnect the call. Right, on foot. Now how the hell do I get down to her level? If she fell through the floor, which it seems pretty obvious she did, she's at least 6 floors below me, and that's only if she stays still. Knowing Lola there's no way she's staying still. 

I'm pulled, or rather quite literally pushed out of my train of thought by a keeper. Those things give me the creeps. How can something 1/3 the size of me push me aside like it's nothing? Then it hits me. The keeper tunnels! Those would let me do a quick drop, or at least I think so. As long as I can fit in them. I'm headed that way when my omnitool pings again. Esteban.

"Vega, do you have Shepard?" 

"Not yet, she fell through the floor at Ryuusei." There's a small pause on the other end. 

"She did what?" 

"Not the time, Esteban. I'm heading after her now."

"James, your locator says you're about to enter the keeper tunnels."

"Yeah, so?" I ask, reaching the entrance. Cortez sighs.

"So use the damn elevator." The line goes dead and I feel a bit sheepish. Right. The elevator. Though Esteban's call helped me on another level- Shepard's locator. I'm willing to look like an idiot in exchange for that idea. I quickly pull lit up on my onmitool(the most useful tool in the galaxy)and find Lola 8 floors below me, moving through what looks to be maintenance tunnels. I hurry into the elevator and choose the right floor, although it's still nowhere near where she is. I knew she couldn't sit still.

My hand hovers over the call button on my omnitool. I desperately need to hear her voice, need to know she's okay, but she's on the run from an army of mercs. My call could give away her position. My worry wins out over my caution and I hit the button. She answers almost immediately but the only sound I hear is the echo of a thermal clip hitting the ground.

"Lola? Are you okay? Come on baby, talk to me." The elevator doors open and I head out at a dead run towards her locator.

"I'm find, James," she says and I remember how to breath again. "Though I could use some back up."

"I'm on it, headed towards you on foot. Couldn't just stay in one place for me, Lola?"

"Excuse me, who's this?" demands a different voice. "You're on an unsecured channel and you're putting Commander Shepard in danger."

"Come again?" I ask, not liking their tone. "Who the hell is this?"

"Joker mentioned Staff Analyst Brooks? That's her. Everybody play nice." Shepard sounds irritated and I hear gunshots going off in the background. Right Vega, try not to distract your girlfriend when she's fighting. I disconnect the call only to answer another one moments later. I don't even pause, answering it in mid run.

"What?" I bark. The air I'm using to talk would be better used to increase my speed.

"Lieutenant Vega?" asks the same vaguely British voice that interrupted my call with Lola.

"I'm a bit busy right now, Brooks."

"Right, of course you are, rushing to the rescue and all that." She pauses and I grit my teeth.

"Something you wanted?"

"Yes, sorry. Commander Shepard is headed for a skycar lot nearby. I'm sending you the navpoint now." A chirp from my omnitool confirms I got it, though the sound is quickly overwhelmed by alarms blaring.

"Thanks Brooks. Gotta go."

"You're-" I hang up before she finishes and immediately dial Shepard.

"Lola, what the hell was that? I can hear that from here!"

"It's all under control," she says in a tone that's not convincing me at all. I hear glass shatter and the whoosh of her biotics. 

"Yeah, sure it is. Brooks sent me the navpoint for the skycar lot. I'll meet you there."

"Good," she says, keeping her voice level though I can hear the sound of gunfire.

"Who the fuck are these guys?" I ask, frustrated. 

"All I know is they have guns and don't like me." I sigh.

"You're really not narrowing things down for me here."

"Commander, it would be really great if you could stay off the comm," chimes in Brooks. Damn it, is she on every call?

"Hey, he called me!" accuses Shepard before hanging up. 

Another few minutes and I've reached the skycar lot. Thus far I haven't run into any of the mercs- the assholes are too busy trying to take down Shepard- but now I can see three at the far end, setting up an ambush point near the door Shepard should be coming through. They're heavily armored and well armed, but then again so am I. I smirk as I sneak to cover behind one of the cars, watching as they set up position. Not this time assholes. I launch a frag grenade into their midst, scattering the group before pulling out my shotgun and making easy work of them. As I watch the last one fly into the wall from the force of my shot the door on my left opens and Lola strolls through.

"Hey Lola," I say, taking her in. "Looks like your date with Joker didn't go quite as planned." She gives me an ironic smile. 

"You could say that. Brooks said a C-sec shuttle should be on it's way, so all we need is to find a control panel to open up those gates." She gestures behind me but I can't tear my eyes away from her. She's wearing her dress uniform and while it may not have been made for fighting I'm starting to think it was made purely so she could wear it. It looks damn good on her, tailored to a T and showing off all my favorite curves. I whistle softly.

"Damn, Lola. I have never seen a set of blues look so good." She raises an eyebrow and I blush. "Uh... control panel, on it." She turns to do a perimeter check the room but not before I see the smirk on her face. Now that I can see with my own two eyes that she's safe, that I'm here to watch her back, I feel my nerves calm down bit. I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. "So, I hear you fell through a fish tank."

"We'll talk about it later," she says in a tone that says we'll talk about it never. 

"How exactly am I supposed to take you there for dinner tomorrow night if they have no floor?"

"I said we'll talk about it later," she says, an undercurrent of embarrassment in her tone. It makes me chuckle. Shepard ignores it and nods towards the back wall.

"Looks like there's an office back there." I let Lola take the lead, perfectly content to watch her hips sway as she walks. 

"Enjoying the view back there?" she asks, the sound of a smile tinging her words. I grin. 

"Every second of it." Two weeks ago she scoffed at that answer, today she just laughs. We reach the office door but when she tries to open it the lock flashes red.

"Stand back," she tells me, lifting her pistol and taking aim at the door. I reach out and push the barrel down. 

"Calm down, Lola. I got this." I tap on the window, gaining the attention of a terrified looking Volus hiding behind a desk. "Hey, amigo, can you get the gate for us?" His shaking hand reaches out to push a button. "Gracias." 

"Please," he breathes, sounding as scared as he looks, "go away." Shepard gives me an unimpressed look. 

"Well I could have done that."

"That's your problem Lola," I say, stepping past her and heading for the landing pad, "you're always reaching for your gun first." She does scoff at that. It's not true and we both know it, but it's too much fun to tease her.

"You're one to talk," she says, catching up and taking the lead.

"Yeah, but I'm just some meathead. Nobody expects better of me." Shepard stops and spins on her heel to face me. She grabs the neck of my armor and pulls me down for a kiss. She takes me by surprise and dominates the kiss quite easily, pulling away long before I want her to. Then again, I never want her to.

"I expect better of you," she says fiercely. "You're a lot of things Vega, but stupid isn't one of them." I'm caught off guard, staring at her in shock and unsure how to respond. Before I can make up my mind though she's already walking away. "Come on, C-sec should be here any second." She's barely finished her sentence when the familiar blue shuttle pulls up. 

Thank God. Now I can finally get her out of here. Of course she'll immediately turn around and hunt these guys down, but at least she'll be in armor first. The doors to the shuttle open and I'm suddenly staring down a turret. Shit. Shepard reacts faster than me, as usual.

"Get down!" she yells, tackling me from the side and propelling us both into cover as rounds fly around us. How the hell are we supposed to get out of this one?

And then a Krogan falls out of the sky.


	10. Chapter 10

A good old fashioned Krogan air drop, and just in time too. The force of Wrex's impact with the shuttle knocks it out of the air and it lands hard on the landing pad. The mercs have no idea what hit them, but Lola does. When I glance over at her she's grinning. I turn my attention back to Wrex just in time to see him throw one of the mercs out the side of the shuttle and over the edge of the landing pad. He picks up the modified hand turret and tosses it to Shepard, nodding in my direction before turning his full attention back to her. She checks the ammo on the turret, then grins at Wrex.

"Nice to see you haven't lost your edge sitting on that throne. What are you doing here?"

"Butting heads with the Council over Krogan expansion," he says, double checking one of the mercenaries is dead. I'd like to ask how he got to us so fast but before I get the chance there's an explosion behind us. More mercenaries drop through the ceiling into the skycar dealership. 

"God damn it!" I yell, moving for cover. "You've got to be kidding me." Just when I thought I'd gotten Lola out of here. She takes cover not far from me, doing little to subdue the grin once again on her face. 

"Just like old times, huh Wrex?" I think this is the first time I've ever seen a Krogan look alarmed.

"Shepard, we got a way out of here?" he asks, taking a shot at one of the mercs. 

"Wrex, I'm a professional," replies Lola with a steady voice, moving closer to the action. Wrex isn't fooled.

"That's not a yes!" Lola opens fire with the turret.

"It's not a no!" Damn, my girl is crazy. In a completely hot kind of way. I pull out my shotgun and get to work. Me, Lola, and Wrex against an army of mercs? If she had her gear I wouldn't be worried about our odds. As it is though a single shot could take her out. I wish I could tell her to stay down, let the big guys in heavy armor handle this, but I'm pretty sure she'd take out my kneecaps for suggesting it. Luckily for my sanity Joker's voice comes over the team radio an instant later. 

"Commander?"

"Joker! We lost our ride. Where are you?" She does a shoulder roll forward to dodge some fire before coming up on one knee and continuing to shoot. 

"On my way," responds the pilot. "Picked up Brooks. Figured you'd have a few questions." Well if Lola doesn't I sure as shit do. Like why didn't Brooks contact her before she walked into an ambush?

"Good call," says Lola, firing off a biotic flare.

"Commander, are you okay? Did C-sec find you?" comes Brooks voice. A merc rushes Lola and she knocks him over the head with her turret, grunting from the exertion. 

"Yes and no. Mercs in a C-sec shuttle." I switch to my assault rifle to be able to take down more mercs at once. 

"What?" asks a shocked Brooks.

"Little busy right now!" yells Lola, diving for cover. 

"Right, sorry. We'll be there soon." This Brooks person seems to verge on incompetence, at the very least nervous and unsure. On a normal day I'd be willing to cut her some slack, but not when her shortcomings endanger myself, my team, and especially my girl. Luckily, gear or no, my girl can hold her own. I dispatch my nearest opponent and do a quick inventory of the battlefield, scanning for her. She's fine of course, 20 feet away making some mercs cry. 

It's a full minute and a half before I hear the shuttle pull up behind us, which may not seem like a lot of time until you're holding off an army, awaiting rescue.

"Get to the shuttle!" comes Joker's voice, but I don't head towards it yet. I cover Lola's back until she's nearly there and then follow after her. The shuttle doors shut behind me and we immediately start to move. Wrex heads to the front to check on Joker and I collapse into one of the seats in the back. Shepard sits next to me and shoots me a lopsided grin. Before she can say a word I pull her to me and kiss her soundly. I crush her against my still armored body, hold her head in place, and devour her lips. She humors me for a bit before pulling back.

"You didn't really think I'd get hurt, did you?" I shake my head.

"Nope. I knew you could handle it." Wrex reappears in the doorway to the cockpit and chuckles.

"Sure you did, kid."

I've calmed down quite a bit by the time we reach her apartment. After all, this is who she is, this is what she does, and, to be perfectly honest, this is one of the reasons I love her. She strides ahead of me as we enter, making her way to the living room and starting to pace. 

"Somebody mind telling me what's going on?" asks Wrex.

"Please tell me someone knows who the fuck those guys are," I say, leaning against the fireplace, my arms crossed over my chest. "And how the hell they got their hands on a C-sec shuttle."

"No clue," says Lola, pulling up her omnitool, "but I'm guessing Commander Bailey might have one."

"C-sec! Brilliant!" says Brooks. I'm not sure what I expected her to look like, perhaps awkward with glasses, but she doesn't fit the description. She has chocolate brown skin with eyes to match and hair darker than Shepard's. She's tall and graceful looking, though her movements belie that impression, instead seeming nervous and jumpy. She frowns. "Wait, won't that just make whoever you contact a target too?" Damned if she's not right.

"She's right, Lola," I say, though it grates me to be agreeing with Brooks. "Until we know more we're just putting a hit out on somebody else." Shepard thinks this over for a minute before shutting down her omnitool. 

"Okay. For now, we run this ourselves."

"Right. Ourselves. On our own. Outside the law. Okay," comes Brooks' voice, trying to sound like a bad ass, and I struggle not to roll my eyes. A year, hell, maybe even 6 months ago I might have found her naivete cute, maybe tried to talk her into my bunk, but now... now I just find her irritating. Shepard takes her in, head to toe, before speaking. I can almost hear the gears turning in her head. Tough love Shepard or soothing Shepard?

"Brooks, it's okay. I know this is a lot to deal with." Looks like she's going with soothing Shepard today.

"I got shot!" says Brooks, wide eyed. "I mean, I had medigel, but still! I took a desk job explicitly so I would not get shot. And you! You just killed a hundred guys! With a pistol!" Lola glances at Wrex and me before turning back to Brooks.

"Well... yes. That did happen." Her brow furrows as if she can't understand why Brooks is making such a big deal out of this. I stifle a laugh. That's Lola, one of a kind.

"I mean, who does that?" continues Brooks, beginning to pace. "Well, you, I guess, but besides you." I share a look with Wrex and Lola asks the question I've been thinking. 

"How did you get mixed up in this?"

A scattered Brooks stops pacing and explains her job: to monitor Alliance officer's IDs and make sure nobody's using them to get into a nightclub on the Citadel while the officer is fighting on Tuchanka. The tracking program she wrote(and named after her cat) found a breach in Shepard's classified files. Everything they had on her was quickly compromised.

"Since when does hacking personnel files involve heavy weapons fire?" asks an irritated Wrex. I chuckle.

"Since it involved Shepard. Seriously, there's flying bullets involved in just about everything she does." She narrows her eyes at me and I wink at her.

"Think of what criminals could do if they had Shepard's military codes, or Spectre codes even," cuts in Brooks.

"Vega's answer was more accurate," grumbles Wrex. "Though it does explain why they need you dead, Shepard. Can't accomplish whatever they have planned with a pissed off Spectre on their ass." He chuckles. "Especially if that Spectre is you." Shepard sighs.

"Looks like shore leave's canceled. Again."

"Hey," I say, catching her gaze and blocking out the rest of the world, "when this is over I'm locking the door to this apartment and shutting off our omnitools. It'll be just you, me, and that hot tub." I can feel the heat coming out of my eyes and my voice sounds a bit lower than normal. One side of her mouth curves up in a small smile. 

"I'll hold you to that, James." Her smile fades and we're back to business. "Okay, ideas on where to start with these guys?"

"That pistol might be a good place to," I suggest. "For such a tiny thing it packs one hell of a punch."

"I've never seen anything like it before," agrees Wrex, taking it from her and examining it. 

"Let me see it," says Liara, appearing from nowhere. Either that I just didn't hear her come in. "I may be able to help." She pulls up that drone of hers and sets it to work tracking down data. 

"Liara," says Lola with a smile. 

"Shepard," she responds, "glad to see you're still in one piece. A shame about the sushi restaurant though. It was a favorite." I smirk. Lola's going to catch so much shit for this.

"Yeah," she says with a glance in my direction, "I hear that."

"Great, Liara's on point. What about the rest of the crew?" questions Wrex.

"Yeah, what about those slackers?" comes Joker's voice from the doorway. 

"Joker," says Shepard, heading towards him, "you've been busy."

"I found some folks who actually like being shot at," he says, gesturing behind him where everyone else is filing in. I don't know if between when he dropped us off here and now he actually went and picked up the rest of the crew or if he just kept tabs on everyone arriving. Either way, busy seems accurate.

"I wouldn't go that far," protests Garrus.

"Oh, come on," says a voice, the latecomer to our party. "Where's your sense of adventure?" Ashley materializes from behind him. I guess she was included in the call for help, though she's been helping out Hackett on the crucible project. She flashes a flirtatious smile in my direction. "Hey Vega."

Shepard stiffens beside me. The first night I kissed Shepard she made it very clear how she felt about me flirting with other women, Ashley in particular. I, of course, agreed to stop at once, though I didn't call her up to tell her specifically that I'm now taken. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach is telling me I probably should have.

Shit.


	11. Chapter 11

Lola glares at me. How am I going to get out of this one?

"This may take awhile," says Liara, not looking up from her omnitool. She must know her way around this place since she doesn't so much as glance up as she makes her way to the dining room. Shepard turns her attention from me to the rest of the crew.

"Might as well make yourselves comfortable guys." She walks towards where Joker has settled himself on the couch, not sparing another look at me. I hold in a groan. This is not good.

"Hey Vega," says Ashley, appearing beside me. Damn it!

"Hey, uh, Ashley," I say, stumbling over my words. How the hell do I get myself into these things? I glance over at Lola who's talking to Joker, stone faced, and I have a moment of clarity. If I don't fix this, and I mean now, I'm going to lose her. I turn my attention back to Ashley, no longer torn on how to proceed. "We need to talk."

Ashley's brow furrows. "Okay. Do you want to find somewhere a bit more private?" To be perfectly honest, yes, I would like to. I feel kind of exposed having this conversation in such a public setting, but I know Lola is watching out of the corner of her eye and going someplace more private with Ashley would be a very bad idea. 

"No, no," I say, tempted to hold her in place to get this conversation over with, though I believe that would be another bad idea. "We can talk here." She looks at me expectantly and I take a deep breath. "Shepard and I are together now," I say in a rush.

Ashley's brows raise significantly and her mouth forms a circle. "Oh," she says in surprise. I suppress a chuckle. It surprised me too.

"Yeah," I say with a wry grin. "And to even get her to go on a date with me I had to promise no more flirting with other women, so..." I trail off and Ashley turns red.

"Oh," she says, sounding embarrassed. She leans back and crosses her arms, putting more distance between us. "Would you like me to talk to her? Tell her I didn't know?"

Somehow I don't think Ashley telling Shepard the only reason she was flirting with me is because I failed to tell her I was taken is going to win me any points. I shake my head. "No, I got it."

She nods. "Right. Sorry if I got you into trouble." She smiles and turns away from me. I take this opportunity to retreat to the entrance of the kitchen. You have to go through it to get to the dining room so Lola can't head to her war council without talking to me. Which, surprise surprise, she seems to be avoiding. She moves from person to person, checking in on the crew while studiously avoiding my gaze.

I can hear her laughing with Garrus upstairs and grit my teeth but keep my composure. This is a misunderstanding. I'm not going to make it worse by forcing a confrontation with her in front of everyone. When she finally comes back down the stairs she's changed into black cargo pants, a tank, and her N-7 hoodie- her standard comfy wear. She's headed towards the kitchen, intent on passing me by, but I stop her. 

"Nothing beats having a Krogan bodyguard, huh?" I say, trying to sidestep our issue or at least shelve it until later. I'm hoping she'll go along with me, let this go at least for now. "I was certainly glad when he showed up. I'd take one of Wrex over ten Brooks any day, eh?" 

Lola cocks her head to the side and studies me, the look in her eyes unforgiving. "I don't know," she says, her voice sweet and biting at the same time, "Brooks is kinda cute. Think she's on the market?" Ouch. I'll take that as a no for letting it go. 

"Lola," I start, but I'm interrupted by Liara.

"Shepard, I've found something!" she calls from the dining room.

"Let's go guys!" Lola calls, moving past me. "War council in the dining room." I sigh and follow after her. 

We've all barely arrived when Liara starts speaking. She's talking about the gun and how she used her special broker powers to track it down. I know I should be paying attention but all I can do is stare at Lola like some love struck asshole that fucked things up with his girl. Which is actually pretty accurate. I'm vaguely aware of Liara telling us about the gun seller, Elijah Khan, and the mercs that were after us. I don't realize how out of it I am until Garrus elbows me sharply in the gut.

"Pull it together, Vega," he whispers harshly.

"She's really pissed," I whisper back. 

Garrus pauses for a second. "I'll think of something."

I tune back into the conversation just in time to hear Lola say, "I can squeeze Khan until a contact drops out." I wince at the visual. 

"Easier said than done," says Liara in amusement. "He has a panic room in the back of the casino."

"And if you go in with guns blazing, normal people could get hurt," inserts Brooks. "Like I did."

Lola sighs. I know she was looking forward to hitting something, and I was looking forward to it not being me. "All right. We go in safe. Small team, no gun play." With the mood she's in right now there's no way I'll be on that team. Glyph pops up and tells us there's a charity function at the casino tonight, a perfect cover. 

A plan is formed to break down the security systems through the vents and Brooks gets assigned to the task. That does not make me happy. What if she fidgets, sets off an alarm, and Lola gets shot at again? Not that I have any say in it. With Brooks going there's only one spot left on the casino team and I'm resigning myself to an evening spent moping on the couch when Liara says the sweetest three words I've ever heard: black tie required.

Lola's eyes shoot to me and I can't help but smile. We both know I already have my tux here, hanging upstairs in her closet where it's been since our date a few weeks ago. Then her eyes slide past me as if she's going to choose someone else anyway and my heart sinks. At least until Garrus speaks up. 

"Commander, I think you should take Vega for this one," he says. She turns a glare on him. "After all, he already has a tux here." If looks could kill the Turian would be dead. Although if this news surprises anyone they don't show it. Either everyone has a fantastic poker face or we haven't been as discreet as we thought. Lola knows when she's been beat. She nods.

"Fine. Meet back here in 45 minutes for last minute details." She turns and heads up the stairs to her room and I follow close behind. 

I enter the bedroom a few seconds after her and shut the door, the sound proofing feature automatically engaging as the door clicks shut. Lola's already in her closet, pulling my tux off its hanger and pushing it at me before turning back to her clothes and ignoring me. I toss my tux towards the bed and follow her into the closet. 

"What do you want, James?" she asks without turning. I step closer and put my hands on her shoulders. 

"Lola," I start but don't get to finish. She spins around and shoves me away from her, hard. I stumble but don't fall. 

"You promised!" she says, her eyes flaring. "Before we even started this mess you promised no flirting with other women, especially Ashley." This would probably seem like an overreaction to anyone else, but I get it. The pain she's feeling right now, the betrayal, it wasn't caused by me. Jacob put that there and it's bubbling up now because she thinks this is me becoming him. I could get pissed, storm away, be offended, but I don't. I promised to prove to her that I am not Jacob, and if she needs a little reminding now and then that's okay with me. I can handle it. She's worth it.

"Lola," I say, gently but firmly, "you have to let me explain. There's nothing between Ashley and me." 

She doesn't look convinced. "Then why did she start flirting with you the moment she walked in?"

"Because I hadn't told her we were together," I tell her without thinking. 

Lola's eyes harden. "Well you don't have to worry about telling her now. We're done." 

My heart stops in my chest. All right, now I'm a bit pissed. I block her exit. "The hell we are! What was I supposed to do? Call up someone I shared a mild flirtation with and say 'Hey, just so you know I'm dating Commander Shepard now, so the next time you see me make sure not to smile'? She doesn't matter to me Lola. Only you matter."

Her face has softened considerably during my tirade. "Does she know now?"

I nod and risk moving closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "She said she was really sorry about the mix up." I pull Lola up against me. "And so am I." The hurt and betrayal radiating off her starts to fade. "In fact, if it will help, I'll send a mass email out to everyone I've ever flirted with and tell them I'm a changed man. Though that would probably lead to most of the galaxy knowing about us." She laughs and I breathe a sigh of relief. If she can laugh I'm in the clear. 

"I think that might cause more problems than it would solve." She takes a deep breath and looks me in the eye. "I'm sorry for overreacting."

I shrug. "At some point you're going to realize wholeheartedly that I'm not him." I press a kiss to her lips and slide the zipper down on her hoodie. "Now what do you say we get you changed for that event?"

She laughs and pushes me away. "Not a chance. If I let you stay in here while I get undressed we'll miss the fundraiser entirely."

I press a kiss beneath her ear. "Come on, Lola. I bet we'd have amazing make up sex."

She laughs, trying to cover the shiver that runs through her body. "Tell you what Vega. We get this mission wrapped up quick and clean tonight and I'll make sure the apartment is cleared for us afterwards." She leans up to kiss me and heat sparks between us like it always does. "But if we're late for the fundraiser then-"

I've already grabbed my tux off the bed and her laughter follows me out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

An hour later I'm grinning my head off as we stand at the head of the red carpet. The casino has set up a pretty fancy party tonight, complete with a celebrity entrance and Lola looks amazing. She's wearing the same cocktail dress and heels that blew me away on our first date a few weeks ago. When she came down the stairs a half hour ago I had to bite my tongue so hard it bled to keep from whistling. 

"Looking fine, Commander," I told her, taking her in head to toe. 

She shot me a wicked smile. "You clean up nicely, James." She winked at me as she passed on her way to the shuttle. 

Now she slips her arm through mine, waving at her admirers as we walk down the carpet. My grin hasn't faded even slightly. 

"What are you smiling at, Vega?" she asks. 

I lean down and whisper in her ear, "I'm just remembering what happened the last time you wore that dress, and how fantastic it looked laying on the floor of your apartment."

She flushes slightly but doesn't falter. "If I recall correctly," she says in a voice only I can hear, "your tux looked pretty good lying next to it." I stumble over my own feet and she laughs softly. Brooks mumbles something about the medigel not matching her skin tone, but I'm really not paying attention. 

Immediately after we step through the door Brooks head to the ventilation shafts and Liara tells us through our ear pieces to go mingle. Shepard strikes up a conversation with a woman running for office while I survey the crowd. I can already tell I don't like this place. It's too much like the Presidium. The Citadel was nearly taken over by Cerberus for God's sake and yet these people still act like the war can't touch them. 

And don't even get me started on these security guys. If the one on my right doesn't un-glue his eyes from Lola's ass I'm going to have to punch him. 

"Commander?" comes Brooks voice through the radio. "There's a problem. Can you meet me?" I sigh. Of course there's a problem. Why the hell did Brooks have to be the one to do this anyway? Why couldn't it be Liara? We head up the stirs to find Brooks wringing her hands in front of the grate. I really should take it easy on her but I can't help it. Something about her just rubs me the wrong way.

She tells us about the alarm which we head over and disable quickly before Liara tells us to get back to mingling. My eyes trace their way across Lola's gorgeous body and an idea enters my mind. I pull her back the way we came. 

"Where are we going?"

"Dance floor," I growl, reaching our destination and pulling her into me. I move my hips against hers and bury my face in her hair. 

"The music's all wrong," she tells me, a smile in her voice. "It's far too modern."

"Don't care," I say, not lifting my head.

"Someone might be watching us," she protests, but starts to move her hips with mine. 

"Still don't care."

"Come on, James. If we get too distracted by each other we could endanger the mission."

I move my mouth to her ear, speaking so only she can hear. "Lola, I think you highly underestimate how badly I want to peel that dress off of you." I spin her out and pull her back, pressing myself even more firmly against her. "And if I don't get to feel your body pressed against mine on this dance floor I'm going to have to find a secluded corner and do it there." Heat flashes in her eyes and I think she's about to kiss me right here... until the radio flares to life. 

An embarrassed Brooks clears her throat. Damn it. I forgot she could hear us. "Sorry to, uh, interrupt your dancing, but I've got a problem." I let my head drop back and groan. Of course she does. 

Lola takes a step away from me, all business. "Go ahead."

"I have a pressure pad and an alarm sensor. I can't disable them from here."

"On it." Lola looks back at me. "Looks like you'll just have to wait, Casanova." She leans up and presses a fleeting kiss to my lips before heading downstairs to disable the system. We find the junction we need but it's in plain view of two guards. She eyes them and then nods at me. 

"If we time this right I can hack it when one guard is looking away. You'll have to distract the other one." She turns away and I observe the two guards. One of them is rotating like he should, doing his job and relying on his partner to rotate in the opposite direction. We can definitely take advantage of his blind spot. The other one... well he seems a little too focused on Shepard. Bastard! That's the same one that was staring at her when we walked in. A smile spreads across my face. I know just how to distract him. 

"Hey!" I yell at him, approaching from the opposite direction. "Pervo! Did I just see you looking at my chica's ass?"

He turns red, embarrassed at being caught. Then the pendejo tries to deny it. "I assure you sir, I was not. I'm not even sure which lady is yours." I give him a look of disbelief. He's not fooling anybody. Doesn't mean I don't want to spin him around, point out Lola, and declare "Her! That's my girl! Eyes off!" Though not only would that be counter-intuitive to the plan, I'm pretty sure Lola would break one of my kneecaps for acting like a caveman. 

"Everything all right, honey?" asks Lola, coming up behind the guard. Honey, I like that. I should probably savor it since it's unlikely to happen again. She gives me a discreet nod to let me know she finished with the junction and wraps her arm around my waist. The look of shock on the guard's face is priceless. 

"Everything's fine, beautiful." I put my arm around her shoulders and steer her towards the bar. We help Brooks out of two more tight spots and manage to sneak our way past back room security before we're finally standing in front of the door to the panic room. I check my watch. As long as we get in, get the answers we need from this guy and get right back out we can be back in time for some private dessert. 

Shepard eyes me checking my watch with amusement. "Patience, James," she chides playfully. 

"My patience is worn thin by you in that dress, Lola."

She laughs before schooling her face into a scowl and opening the door. "Khan," she says in the voice that makes bad guys lay down their weapons and walk away, "you and me are going to have a talk." Khan doesn't even turn his chair around. 

I walk over to, uh, assist him with this but stop short. "Shit."

"What is it?" asks Lola. 

I spin his chair around, revealing a very dead Khan. Damn it. No dessert tonight.


	13. Chapter 13

What. The. Fuck. There is really no other appropriate reaction to the sight in front of me. How the hell did this happen?

Two hours ago we were in Shepard's apartment after finding Kahn dead, with me mourning the loss of my evening with Lola. I sighed. I really needed to let go of this whole thing with dessert. 

Or perhaps not. 

Shepard came walking out of the far room after checking on Liara and gave me a coy smile, one that was instantly mirrored on my face. Perhaps I wasn't the only one that was thinking we could sneak away for half an hour to get changed. When she winked at me I knew I wasn't alone. 

"Careful, Commander," I told her as she approached, "a girl takes a guy out on a hot date..." She moved close enough to kiss, close enough that I could feel her body's warmth through our clothes. "He starts getting ideas," I finished in a gravely voice.

She leaned in so she could whisper in my ear. "All of them within Alliance regulations, of course?"

Her warm breath made me shiver. "Not a one." I grabbed her hand and took two steps towards the stairs. 

"Commander?" called Brooks. "We're just about ready in here."

Damn that woman. 

Lola shrugged regretfully. "I guess it's just not our night." She moved off to see what Brooks and EDI had found. I sighed and followed after her, pulling at the collar of my tux. 

When we found Kahn his drive was wiped, either by the killer or himself before he died. Doesn't really matter which one did it, point is we lost them. Or at least whoever wiped them thought so. I guess they didn't realize we have an AI on our side. EDI can recover just about anything. So we pulled them and brought them back with us to the apartment. It seemed they had finally found something, although I really wish they had waited another half hour. 

We gathered around the table to listen to Brooks tell us about the mercs buying a lot of weapons from Kahn. Including the very desirable and equally pricey mechs. 

"Why do the bad guys get all the good stuff?" grumbled Garrus. Lola shot him a look and he shrugged. "I've always wanted one."

She rolled her eyes. "Somehow I doubt it's in our budget."

We didn't get any farther than that. Glyph popped up and informed us Shepard's codes were in use right now, at the Citadel Archives. The place where the Council keeps all their sensitive historical information. It was the best lead we had and we sprang into action instantly. 

Wrex, Lola, and I were on point(hell yeah!) and she split everyone else into two teams and brought them with us. We've never all been out on the same mission before, so to say we were pumped on the ride over was a massive understatement. The best in the galaxy, double checking weapons and armor, prepping to go kick some ass together. 

I blew a hole in the ceiling of the archives beneath us and we dropped in and split up. The three of us cut through the center while teams Mako and Hammerhead came in on either side from above. No sooner had we reached the first room than the mercs were on us. I chuckled as I pulled out my shotgun. I was not worried. 

Not only did you have the unstoppable bad ass team of Wrex, Lola, and me(all in armor this time) but we had the legends of the galaxy at our backs. Judging by the easy banter everyone was throwing out, they weren't worried either. Though judging by the panicked cries of the mercs, they were. 

"I'm hit!" screamed Brooks.

If I had time I would've been rolling my eyes. Of course she was. "Stay down!" I yelled up to her. Her response was another scream. 

"That's enough!" yelled a voice from above us. An all too familiar voice. I looked up to see a shadowy figure holding Brooks hostage, a gun to her head. "Drop your weapons or this won't end well for her."

I was tempted to say Fuck it and keep fighting(not my proudest moment) but I laid down my weapon next to Lola's. After the entire crew was disarmed the figure shoved Brooks away and leaped off the upper balcony to the ground in front of us. Then they stepped out of the shadows.

What. The. Fuck. 

An exact copy of Lola smirks at us. "I would've just let her die."

And suddenly, with that cruel twist to her lips and uncharacteristic words, this thing in front of us looks nothing like my Lola. Her eyes are cruel, not lively like Shepard's. The lines around her mouth are from frowning, not from Lola's easy smile. And where's the small white scar on her cheek she got from sparring with Scars? Or the one above her lip from Tuchanka? I scoff in my head. There's no way anyone would believe this is Shepard. 

"Who the hell are you?" asks Lola, coming toe to toe with the impostor.

The fake doesn't look impressed. "You weren't the only one Cerberus brought back to life, but at least one of us will finally do something with it."

I will admit it's disconcerting hearing it speaking with her voice.

"A clone," says Wrex, minutely changing his stance to be ready for battle.

Her eyes flick to him and then back to Shepard. "Cerberus spared no expense resurrecting you. Me they kept around for spare parts."

Ouch. That's gotta suck. Still, it's no reason to go psycho on the real Shepard. 

"I don't care who you claim to be," says Lola. "The position of Commander Shepard has already been filled."

"By the wrong woman," says the clone, not missing a beat. "It's time the understudy had her day."

"Did the Illusive Man send you?" asks Shepard, keeping her cool. I mean, I know she's used to weird but this has got to make her top five.

The clone laughs. "Hardly. He forgot about me the moment he had what he needed. You."

"Then why the fuck are you trying to kill us?" I exclaimed. If I ever discovered there were two of me I'd at least take the other guy drinking before trying to kill him. 

"Because I don't have her memories," she says, pacing for the sake of moving. "I'd never fool my supposed friends. The ones who abandoned their duty to follow the cult of Shepard."

I honestly can't hold back my laughter. "Memories or no, you'd never fool anyone that's ever met her."

That seems to catch her attention. She focuses solely on me, dropping her voice to a tone that drives me crazy with Lola but makes me shudder with her. "Are you sure about that?" She takes a step towards me and runs her fingers up my arm. "I could be everything to you, James. I'm just like her, only better. I won't even play hard to get."

I pull my arm away and give her an incredulous look, shaking my head. "You really are ten shades of crazy, you know that?"

She glares at me and steps back. "What do you know, Jimmy? You're just a farm boy who lost his pitchfork."

I raise an eyebrow. She's going to have to try harder than that if she wants to insult me. "And you're just a pale imitation of the real thing," I tell her in an even tone. 

"I am the real thing," she snarls, "perfected! I'm her without all the wear and tear." She turns back to Lola. "Without all the emotional baggage holding you back."

Wrex scoffs. "No one will believe you're Shepard." 

"They will once I'm flying her ship," responds the fake.

Lola immediately sends the emergency codes to Traynor, telling her to lock down the ship. Which would be a great idea, if not for the clone blocking the signal. She puts her own call through, uses Shepard's codes, and has the Normandy prepped for flight. This is not good. 

But then again, neither is pissing off Shepard. The look on her face is reserved for enemies the split second before she tears them apart. "Never thought I'd say this, but I'm looking forward to killing myself."

The clone doesn't look scared. Which is stupid. She really should be. "Execute them all," she says, headed for the door. "The cult of Shepard ends today."

Another bad move. You'd think by now the bad guys would've learned to stop underestimating Shepard. The door hasn't even fully closed behind her before Lola's retrieved her gun and shot down the mass relay model handing from the ceiling, killing the mercs beneath it. Half a second later the shots from the balcony resume, along with the trash talk.

"On high ground with a sniper rifle," muses Garrus, taking down a merc in one shot, "it doesn't get any better than this."

"It's like a party!" chimes in Ashley. "With bullets!"

I use Carnage to take down a merc's shields and laugh. "One big ass-kicking family!"

The room is clear in minutes and I do a quick scan. "We're clear. Now where'd the... other you go?"

"She's pushing farther into the archives," says Lola, popping the heat sink on her rifle, "and so are we."

Damn my girl is hot.


	14. Chapter 14

_I knew I hated that bitch_ , I snarl silently to myself, glaring as Brooks drapes an arm over the clone's shoulders. I'd like nothing more than to reach out and wipe that smug look off her face, but, unfortunately, I can't. I'm trapped by a force field. In a storage pod. About to be sealed away forever. I'd probably feel a whole lot stupider if Wrex and Shepard weren't trapped beside me.

As it is, Lola is seething, her eyes promising murder. The clone either doesn't notice or doesn't care; both stupid moves on her part. She's too busy bragging about her perfect plan to notice Lola is pissed but not worried. I have no idea why. I guess I'm worried enough for the both of us.

"The minute- the second I get out of here," interrupts Lola, "I'm going to take your head and mount it in the Normandy CIC." Brooks smug look falters for a second and I smirk.

Lola folds her arms and turns her glare on the clone. "Then I'm going to mount her head next to yours." She says it in such a matter of fact way that the two women in front of us are starting to get nervous. But she's not done yet. "Then I'm going to take both your heads and space them out the airlock!"

Wrex whistles under his breath and I grin.

"I'll lend a hand," I promise, my eyes locked on Brooks.

She clears her throat, trying to take back control of the situation. "That sounds very dramatic. And if someone like, say, Commander Shepard made the threat, I'd be worried." She smirks, obviously feeling too secure in her plan. "But you're not Shepard. Not anymore."

The clone speaks, trying to imitate Lola's unworried tone. "Now that I have what I came for," she says, glancing at the biometric pad where she replace Shepard's info, "I should go." With one last look at the legend she's trying to replace, the impostor walks out. Brooks hits the button that will seal us away forever. She sends one last smirk over her shoulder as she follows after the clone.

As our compartment starts to move, I turn to Shepard, certain she has a plan waiting to spring into action. What I find, however, is her visibly irritated, her brow furrowed in thought. What the hell? I switch my gaze to Wrex to find him calmly surveying our cage.

"Refresh my memory," he says. "Didn't we used to win these things back in the old days?"

"She said, 'I should go,'" says Shepard, trapped in her own thoughts. "Do I sound like that?"

I stare at her, wondering what freaky twilight zone I've fallen into. Shouldn't we have escaped by now?

I see Wrex nod his head in the dim light as our compartment clicks into place. "As long as I've known you, yeah."

My eyes lock on him, wondering if the two of them are already running low on air.

"Just a thought," I say, "maybe we should be worrying about the vault we've been sealed inside forever." If either one hears me they don't show it.

Lola shakes her head. "I'm more confident than she is," she declares. "'More in control. With me it's more like: 'That's all for now.'"

"Spoken like a true Krogan," Wrex approves. "Show 'em who's boss."

My unshakable faith that Shepard will get us out of this is beginning to waver. "Not a lot of air in here either," I point out. "An hour, tops."

"Or sometimes, 'I'll talk to you later,'" continues Lola. "Because you know what? I never do. Leave them wanting more."

"Come on, Lola!" I explode. "Why aren't you more worried about this?"

"Hmm?" she says, turning her head to me, as if noting my panic for the first time. "Oh, right. Glyph! You still out there?" she calls.

The familiar mechanical hum of Liara's drone pauses outside our compartment. "Yes, Commander."

"Unlock this damn thing and go find the others. No one steals my ship. Not even me."

I hear a faint click and our pod starts to move. Lola smirks at me.

"You didn't really think we were stuck, did you James?"

I shake my head, my expression the picture of innocence. "Not even a little," I proclaim. Wrex just chuckles.

It doesn't take long to get the rest of the crew released. They're all ready to go, figuring it was only a matter of time before Shepard got them out. Apparently they used their imprisonment to think up new and creative ways to kill Brooks and the clone. I've got a few in mind myself.

We're topside again less than ten minutes later. Either the clone was absolutely convinced we wouldn't escape, or she wanted to haul ass before we did. One way or another, she didn't bother locking the many door between us and the exit on her way out.

Lola takes a quick survey of our surroundings before nodding towards the southeast. "The Normandy is that direction. Double time it people! That bitch is not getting my ship."

Before we can take a step Joker makes a hasty landing in a skycar- saving me the unpleasant task of reminding Shepard we'd never beat her clone there on foot. Thank God.

"I've got room for you and two others," Joker tells her frantically. "Figure out whoever you're bringing fast. The other you is stealing my ship!"

Lola nods Wrex and I towards the car. She climbs in herself and turns back to the rest of the team only to find Garrus pouting. At least, I think that's what he's doing. Hard to tell on a Turian.

Shepard sighs. "What?"

"Aw, I was hoping to go," he says.

"I know what you mean," echoes Ashley, "I never seem to get picked."

Lola rolls her eyes. "Joker will come back for you, I promise." She's spared the need to say anything else by Joker launching the skycar into the air at full speed.

"This is why I hate shore leave," Joker mutters angrily while weaving dangerously through traffic. "I swear, you park the ship for five minutes." I'm not sure who's more pissed about the Normandy being stolen, her Commander or her pilot.

Though I'm tempted to cling to the skycar for dear life Lola doesn't even bat an eye. "Contact Citadel control and have them deny the departure request," she orders, looking as pissed off as I've ever seen her.

"I tried that, but the comm channels are down," says Joker, looking like he's about to blow a gasket. "Probably to make it easier to steal my ship!"

I briefly wonder if Joker's increased panic might have something to do with EDI or if it's all for the Normandy. Wait, are they the same thing at this point? I don't know, that shit's beyond me. I focus my attention back on the here and now.

"We can still go to the alliance even if we lose the Normandy," I say, trying to cool their tempers just a bit. "You can prove you're you, right?"

Before I even finish my sentence Wrex is shaking his head. "No, she changed the logs to make her biometrics the official ones. We can't prove anything."

I don't have a chance to point out no one could possibly believe that thing could be my Lola before Joker jumps in again. "Yes, that! Can we all just agree it would be easier to not let Shepard's evil clone steal the Normandy?"

Lola's face is set in killing mode, her eyes hard. "One way or another we are taking this bitch down."

"Damn right!" Joker agrees. "You go kill the crap out of, uh, you."

He starts to set us down out of the danger zone from Citadel weapons, but doesn't get the chance to actually land. Shepard's already got the door open and is leaping to the ground, rifle in hand.

"Go back and get the others," she throws over her shoulder to Joker, though I know she doesn't plan on waiting for them.

"Right, they can't have gotten far. Unless they... called a cab or something," he responds, but Lola's focus has shifted to the battle in front of us, to the mercs standing between us and her ship.

I move into position on her six with a grin. Time to burn shit down.


	15. Chapter 15

I'm barely off the ladder before there are projectiles flying at my head. It seems these Mercs don't know when to cut their losses. Although, since they agreed to go after Shepard in the first place I guess they weren't ever very bright.

Lola takes cover behind a crate, charging her biotic flare. She peeks her head around the corner, getting a quick mental picture of their layout, and then launches it. Half a second later I feel the rush of energy as it explodes, taking out 2 mercs and knocking down 3 others.

Wrex grins. "That's more like it."

I have to admit, after being trapped in a vault to die the mercs screams are making me smile too.

Lola takes a quick glance at me over her shoulder before focusing her assault rifle on a nearby soldier. "As much as I appreciate the moral support, do you think you could start killing things now?"

"Sorry, Lola." I say, tossing a grenade at the three wannabes creeping up on our left, "It's hard not to watch a master at work." She doesn't take her focus off the fight, but I see her grin all the same.

I move up on our left, taking advantage of the space I just cleared out. Wrex, the crazy bastard, just goes charging into the mercenaries up the middle, while Lola takes the right side, sprinting between cover. She pops up long enough to snipe some asshole's head off and I hear his friend scream, "I thought they were supposed to be dead!"

I laugh out loud, firing a concussive shot into the guy standing next to him. "You wish, pendejo! It takes more than that to kill us."

"To hell with this!" he says, seeming to finally come to his senses. He turns to run, but Wrex is right on his ass.

"Where'd you think you're going. Princess?"

I'm not afraid of much, but I hope to hell Wrex never comes after me like that. The scared screams of the last assailant as Wrex tosses him off the side of the dry dock doesn't mask a sound I know well- the Normandy's engines firing.

"Shit, they've got her started. We need to haul ass." I match actions to words and race towards the Normandy, Lola and Wrex hot on my tail.

"When we want to take off," complains Lola, barely breathing heavily behind me, "there's a half hour of preflight checks. They just gun the engine and go?"

I chuckle. "Maybe we should skip them ourselves next time."

"I'm strongly considering it," she tosses over her shoulder as she passes me. "Try to keep up, Vega. I didn't come this far to watch the Normandy leave."

We tear up the gangplank, turn the corner, and nearly collide with a pissed off Traynor.

"You!" she practically shrieks. I've never seen her so angry. "You were just on the bridge. You fired me! Dishonorable discharge for conduct unbecoming. You kicked me off the ship with barely enough time to get my toothbrush." She brandishes it, almost threateningly. I think she's trying to figure out if she can hit Shepard. As someone who’s been on the receiving end of Lola’s fists, I wouldn't recommend it.

Lola doesn't miss a beat. "That's a Cison Mark 4. It uses mass effect fields to break up plaque and massage the gums."

Traynor's not letting go of her anger, and spits back, "Yes, I told you that."

Wrex and I move past her to examine the airlock door. It’s locked up tight.

"Yes," says Lola patiently, "and I remember because I'm the real Shepard."

"Wait, if you didn't throw me off the ship-" Traynor starts, thrown off her warpath.

"Cerberus cloned Shepard," I say, turning back towards the two of them.

Wrex tries blasting through the wall, drawing their attention for a moment before they turn back to me.

I shrug. "Yeah, that's all I've got."

"I'll explain more later," Lola says, walking past Traynor to join me at the door. "Damn it, it’s sealed."

Wrex lowers his shotgun, "And we don't have enough time to cut through.”

Lola looks mad enough to kick the wall. "So how the hell do we get in?"

"Over here," calls Traynor, crouching down off to the side. She removes the cover off a hatch in the floor I hadn't noticed. "There's an emergency hatch here for evacuations."

Lola does a quick scan with her omni-tool. "It's held shut with a latch meant to be opened by on the other side. Any ideas?"

"If you could fine tune your biotics, a small mass effect field could pop it," offers Wrex.

Faster than you can blink, Traynor whips out her toothbrush, turns it on, and trips the latch. "Go!" she says, taking a step back to make room.

 As I drop through the hatch after Lola, I hear Traynor grumble, "And you owe me a new toothbrush."


End file.
